Lost Soul
by DietCokeIsLife
Summary: Takes place right after Season 5. When Jay accidentally pushes Cole into the water, the ninja are sure their brother is gone forever. After they begin to see signs that Cole may not be as gone as they thought, they will do anything to bring him back, even if it means risking their own well-being, traveling between realms, or calling on the help of a former arch-enemy...
1. Accident

It was an accident.

But, that only made Jay feel worse.

Because, how could he have been so _careless_? He knew it was dangerous, it was _supposed_ to be dangerous, and still…

The ninja had been completing a stamina exercise at Master Wu's behest. They were to walk the entire nine mile trail in the appropriately named Treacherous Wood. The ground was uneven and unstable, the path was nearly overgrown with various shrubs and protruding roots, and it was steadily climbing upward. The six of them had started cheerily enough, but now, halfway through, all of them were boasting several bruises and scrapes and complained more often than not. Only Lloyd was still upbeat, determined to keep up the morale of his team as he led them through the seemingly endless forest. Jay and Cole brought up the rear, trudging through dead leaves and over pebbles that were _just_ loose enough to make one lose their footing.

"Are we _there_ yet…?" Cole whined, kicking a perfectly innocent rock off the steep ledge they were skirting. "I'm starving…,"

"What are you complaining about?" Jay snapped, wiping sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. "You're a _ghost_. You can't even, like, feel anything."

"I still move, I still get tired, I still get hungry," Cole argued, then waved a hand in Jay's direction. "I just don't get all flushed and sweaty and gross like you."

"I'm not gross…," Jay muttered, shouldering past the ghost.

"Have you ever looked in a mirror?" Cole laughed, punching Jay's arm in retaliation.

He knew they were all in a bad mood from the heat and exertion. He knew that Cole probably didn't mean to punch him as hard as he did; the black ninja didn't know his own strength. But, for a second, one singular moment, Jay was _mad_. He wanted more than anything to wipe that smirk off the ghost's face, and so he shoved Cole as hard as he could.

If only Cole had been expecting it. If only Jay's hands had phased through him. If only Cole hadn't tripped over a tree root. If only he hadn't tumbled over the ledge.

If only there hadn't been a pond of water at the bottom.

Too late, Jay realized his mistake, and he lunged to grab Cole's hand and pull him up and hug him and tell him he was sorry and then laugh because _man_ , that was a close call.

He could've sworn he brushed Cole's fingertips, but the black ninja had already fallen too far. Cole, at the same time, seemed to realize his fate and the inevitability of what was about to happen. And, that was the worst part: his face as he looked back at Jay one last time.

He was so, so _scared_.

Jay died inside when he heard the splash of water far below. And then, silence.

"Guys, what's going on back there?" He distantly heard Lloyd call. The others had left them behind a long time ago but had apparently backtracked when they noticed their absence. "Will you two quit goofing off-" Lloyd stopped when he saw Jay's face. "Jay? Where's Cole?"

Jay couldn't even see the four- _five, shouldn't there be five? Nya and four brothers so where- where- where_ \- the four ninja gathered around him in a loose, increasingly concerned circle. All he could see was Cole's face- _he was so scared…_

"Jay?" Nya repeated, touching his shoulder. "You're scaring us." _Cole, Cole was scared, Cole was scared because of what he did._ "Did something happen? Where did Cole go?"

"Cole?" Kai called, cupping his hands around his mouth to increase the volume. "Cole, reappear now. If this is a prank, it's not funny."

Zane cocked his head, peering at Jay curiously. The blue ninja seemed to be staring into space, but maybe… The nindroid carefully bent over to look over the side of the ledge. _Cole, Cole, should be there, Cole's down there waiting to make fun of him for thinking_...

Zane grabbed the front of Jay's gi in both fists, eliciting protests from Lloyd and Nya. "Jay, answer me." Each word was punctuated with an intensity that made Jay want to curl up and hide forever. "Did Cole fall?"

Only then did tears begin to pour down his cheeks. "No," he choked out, shaking his head frantically.

"I _pushed_ him."

Zane and Lloyd were immediately skidding down the face of the slope, sloshing knee deep into the pond and searching- _searching for what? There was nothing to find_ \- and calling Cole's name desperately as if that would be enough to _bring him back_ …

Kai took Zane's place directly in front of Jay, grabbing his shoulders so hard Jay was sure he broke skin- _it was less than he deserved_. "Jay. Jay, please tell me this is a prank." Kai's eyes were glistening with unshed tears, but Jay couldn't look away. "No one's going to be mad if this is a prank."

"Kai...," Nya said in a reproachful tone of voice, wiping her own tear-stained cheeks with her sleeve.

"No," Jay whispered, another sob escaping with the word. "I killed him."

Kai went deathly still for an instant.

Then he punched Jay in the face.

"How could you be so _stupid_?!" The red ninja roared. Jay hit the ground on his back, all the wind knocked out of him, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

" _Kai_!" Nya shrieked. "Stop!"

But, then the red ninja was on top of Jay, his knuckles making satisfactory contact with the soft flesh of Jay's face once again. The blue ninja felt as if he was watching the exchange happen from Nya's point of view. He even kind of liked the pain throbbing in his cheek. At least it was something. At least it was _a_ feeling.

"How _could_ you, Jay?" Kai was sobbing too now as he jerked Jay back and forth by the collar of his gi. "He was our _brother_. You shouldn't have- You should've _done_ something- You should've _saved_ -"

The words meant nothing to Jay. He'd already thought them all before.

"Kai, stop! It was an accident!" Nya begged, shoving her brother off Jay, then kneeling by the blue ninja's side.

The red ninja was back on his feet in an instant and made to lunge again- until Zane and Lloyd reappeared and both grabbed one of his arms to restrain him.

Nya looked up hopefully. "Did you…?"

"No." Zane replied, his expression completely blank and his tone empty. "We did not."

"We have to go tell Master Wu," Lloyd input, readjusting his grip on the struggling Kai. "He'll know what to do. He can fix-"

"Cole is _dead_ , Lloyd!" Kai yelled, finally yanking free of their hold but not attacking the blue ninja. Not that Jay would have cared if he had. "There's nothing to fix!"

Lloyd bit his lip and blinked, his eyes wet. "There has to be a way. There's always a way."

"Just like there was a way for your _dad_?"

Zane held up an arm, stopping Lloyd's advance toward Kai. "Do _not_ ," the Green Ninja growled, "bring my father into this."

"We need to go home," Nya interrupted before the argument could escalate any further. "We need to tell Wu. We need to… There are a lot of things to do." She finished quietly.

Zane began walking back the way they had come.

Kai and Lloyd glared at each other a moment longer before the fire ninja looked away with a grunt of disgust and followed Zane.

Lloyd and Nya helped Jay to his feet. He followed them. He moved his feet. He watched the ground, but all he could see was Cole's face.

He was so _scared_ …

* * *

Master Wu listened, stoic, as Lloyd recounted the story back on the Destiny's Bounty. He did not move to comfort the boy when he broke down in tears halfway through but waited silently as Misako calmed Lloyd down. Nya took up the yarn instead, barely managing to finish it herself.

They were gathered in a group on the deck. Kai was turned slightly away, arms crossed over his chest and staring out into the distance with a poisonous glare on his face. Zane appeared to be almost absent, staring at everyone and everything with this oddly perplexed look on his face, as if he had never seen any of them before. Jay, who had returned to himself a bit more as they had walked the four miles back, stared at the deck in shame as tears steadily pushed themselves out of his eyes. He wanted to cradle his aching cheek but quickly decided he didn't deserve to.

When Nya stopped, Lloyd stepped forward. "But, there's a way to fix it, right? I mean, there is a way to bring Cole back, right? He's a ghost. He _can't_ die." Then, as if no one had heard him the first time, he repeated, "He _can't_ die."

Master Wu took a deep breath before answering. "I… do not know the answer to that question."

Everyone looked up with hope in their eyes. Because if it wasn't a _no_ , then it was a _maybe_ , and the ninja had succeeded on a lot less than _maybe_ in the past.

Everyone except for Kai, who spit, "Water kills ghosts. That's how it is."

"Coming into contact with water forces ghosts to return to the realm from which they came," Wu corrected, stroking his beard. "This was true when there was a Cursed Realm for the ghosts to return to; the same would hold true for the Realm of the Departed. But, this is where the uncertainty lies. Cole was never sent to the Realm of the Departed in the first place. His soul is not tethered there."

"So… he's still here then?" Lloyd asked, face brightening.

"As I said, I do not know," Wu shook his head sadly, and suddenly he appeared much, much older than he actually was. "Coming into contact with water may have sent Cole's soul to the Realm of the Departed anyway. He may reappear right here in the Destiny's Bounty. Or, his soul may have simply... faded from existence altogether." Master Wu turned away, shuffling toward his quarters.

"But, Sensei," Nya called after him. "What do we _do_?"

"We wait," Master Wu answered, coming to a stop. "We hope Cole returns on his own. If he does not… you have no one to blame but yourselves." Only then was the pain present in the old man's voice, and he quickly left to mourn in private.

Lloyd let Misako lead him below deck even as he insisted to her that Cole would be back in no time.

Jay gasped when Kai shoved him hard in the chest. "Wu's right. You have no one to blame but yourself," he snarled before stomping toward his own bedroom. Nya glanced back and forth between her brother and Jay before sighing and choosing the former, rushing after him.

Jay started when he felt a hand grasp his wrist. Zane was looking back at him with that same eerily neutral expression, never looking more like a nindroid in Jay's mind. Without saying a word, he dragged the blue ninja toward the kitchen, and Jay followed like a dog on a leash.

Zane sat Jay down in a chair at the kitchen table and prepared a bag of ice for him. He wrapped it in a cloth and then sat beside him, holding the ice to his bruised and swollen cheek.

"Zane," was all Jay could manage before he broke down in tears again. Through his sobs, he asked, "Do you hate me?"

The pressure on his cheek increased to an almost painful level before relaxing once again. After an eternity, the nindroid sighed. "No."

"Why not?" Jay said, pushing the ice away from his face. He didn't want to treat the bruise. He would wear it as a reminder of what he'd done. "Kai does. You _should_."

"Because, while it was highly irresponsible and idiotic, it was still an accident," Zane answered, placing the bag of ice carefully on the table and staring at it a moment before raising his eyes to meet Jay's.

"And, he would not want us to hate you."

Then, Jay was bawling in Zane's arms, gasping for air as he cried, "I'm sorry, Cole. I'm so so sorry. Can you ever forgive me? Can you ever forgive me for killing you…?"


	2. Just My Imagination

**Thank you to everyone that has read so far! Quick question: Most of this story is already written (like 75%) and only now do I realize that I completely forgot about P.I.X.A.L. being inside Zane's head! Would you guys be terribly angry if we all just agreed that she didn't exist for this story? *sweat drop***

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **RandomDragon: Thank you so much for taking the time to review! Yes, all of the guys are extremely hurt :'( As we saw after Zane "died," Kai turns to violence as an outlet and now unfortunately has a target in Jay. At least Zane is there to comfort him :D Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the upcoming chapters!**

 **TheYellowNinja: Haha! The update is here! I'll be updating this story more often than my "Nightmare" oneshots since it is so much longer, and I want to get the plot moving along. I'm thinking Wednesdays and Saturdays? And, yes, I've always been so curious about what would happen if Cole had touched water as a ghost, so I decided to finally pour that curiosity into a story! I hope you like where I go with it!**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Aw, it makes me so happy that you're excited for my stories! As a writer, I am so so so glad you think I was able to capture the reactions and emotions realistically! The last thing I want is for someone to come across like they're overreacting or insincere. I truly believe that Kai would be the one to resort to violence, considering he joined that underground fight club after Zane sacrificed himself to defeat the Overlord. And, yes, he will definitely have to make it up to Jay later. :D Poor Jay :'( Sorry I had to do that to you, buddy. But, yes, I hope you like the direction I take the story in! Thanks again!**

* * *

The last month had been bleak, to say the least.

Training had grinded to a halt. Nobody, not even Master Wu, had broached the subject of doing something they had only ever done together. As a whole.

Lloyd was in denial. He seemed to float through every day with a faint smile on his face, telling anybody who would listen that today would be the day that Cole would show up. Even the time Kai slapped him did not put a dent in his optimism; in fact, it only seemed to strengthen his resolve to a manic level, and all Misako could do was nod when he explained to her that Cole had probably been here the whole time, laughing at how ridiculous they were acting.

Kai was angry, so angry he did not know what to do with himself. He had physically lashed out at everyone except Nya, but especially at Jay. The two could not be in the same room together for more than a minute without a brawl breaking out- or rather, without Kai hitting Jay. The latter never fought back, perhaps even relished in the punishment. This only made Kai angrier, and Nya had begun to act as a physical barrier between them.

Speaking of the water ninja, she appeared to think she could bargain for Cole's return. When she was not calming Kai down, she was _fixing_ something, anything. Once, Zane had even caught her sabotaging the ship's engine so that she could later fix it. It was as if it was a challenge from some unseen deity, a deal she had brokered without their knowledge. _If I fix ten things today, he'll come back. If I fix this and that and that, Cole will have to come back._ If she was still for even a moment, she would break, and that was the one thing she did not know how to fix.

Jay was depressed. He laid in Cole's bed. He did not sleep. He did not eat. He did not leave.

Zane was beginning to think he was the only one who had moved on to acceptance. Not that he did not miss the black ninja as much as the others, but he took comfort in doing what he believed Cole would've wanted, and in that way felt closer to him in death than the others ever could. He indulged Lloyd. He restrained Kai. He broke things for Nya to fix. He force fed Jay. And, at the end of the day when he was finished trying to care for everyone as well as Cole would have, he could _feel_ the black ninja's approval. It was the closest he would ever come to feeling his embrace again.

Zane pondered this as he cooked dinner for the family that night. He had debated making Cole's favorite dish but decided that it it was too soon, and so was carefully preparing a stew. He tasted it- _perfect_ \- and felt a twinge of sadness that the biggest fan of his cooking would never get to do the same. He turned toward the sink to deposit his spoon in the basin-

He jumped at a noise.

Whipping around, he searched for the intruder. He was alone.

"Lloyd?" He called anyway. He wasn't crazy; there had been a distinct _clink_. "Nya?"

Finally, Zane noticed that the salt shaker on the shelf above the stove had fallen onto its side and was now spilling its contents directly into his pot. He yelped and scrambled to right it. Taking up a clean spoon, he tasted his stew again- ick, _way_ too salty, but he could fix that- then stared in wonder at the salt shaker. A breeze must've blown through that…

Zane cried out in surprise when the flame under the pot suddenly increased to an impossible height, almost engulfing the pot. He felt the heat on his face but reached to save his stew, knowing he needn't worry about getting burned.

But, just as suddenly as it had grown, it shrank back to its original size, a flame no bigger than his thumb.

Zane took several steps backward. First the salt shaker falls over, then the stove when he was _positive_ he had not touched the dial. It was… scary. It was almost…

The nindroid gasped out loud.

 _Supernatural_.

No. It couldn't be. It had been an entire month. He had accepted it. He had been trying to move on…

But, he had to know.

"Cole?" He whispered. Maybe… Just _maybe_ … "Cole, is that you?"

If he listened _really hard_ , he thought he could hear something that sounded like a voice, but it was just his imagination for all Zane knew.

"Cole, if you're here… give me a sign," he tried, searching all about him for any hint of movement. "Can you do that for me, Brother? Can you give me a sign?"

The flour that always sat on the edge of the counter toppled to the floor and exploded, coating Zane and most of the kitchen in the white powder.

"Everyone, come quick!" Zane shouted, laughing with euphoria because it was Cole, it was _Cole_ , his brother was finally home and he could stop acting like everything was okay and being strong for everyone else because it was _Cole_. "It's Cole, it's Cole, he's _here_!"

Every occupant of the Destiny's Bounty, even Jay, was in the kitchen in record timing. No one would have bothered if it had been Lloyd who called, but this was _Zane_ , so it had to be true.

They all marveled at Zane's appearance for a moment but didn't comment.

"I knew it! I knew he would come back! Where is he?" Lloyd shouted, peering around Zane as if the black ninja was hiding from them.

"Cole?" Zane asked the air, feeling a little self-conscious now that everyone was watching. "Cole, can you show them what you showed me?"

Nothing happened.

"Cole?"

"Give it up, Zane." Kai shook his head with a frustrated exhale. "You're hallucinating. Cole's obviously not here."

"No, no, he is!" The nindroid insisted, looking this way and that for any glimpse of the earth ninja. "He-he knocked over the salt shaker! And, then… the flame…," he trailed off, the logical part of his brain rationalizing all the events of the past few minutes. _A breeze, turbulence, you must've been leaning on the dial_ … "The flour!" He exclaimed, gesturing to his shirt front as if that was all the evidence they needed. "I asked him to give me a sign, and he knocked the flour off the counter! He was here-"

"But, did you see him?" Nya asked gently. "Did you actually, really _see_ him?"

Zane did not answer.

"Should've known…," Kai scoffed, checking Jay with his shoulder as he left the room.

Jay, head bowed, trudged out after him.

The others filed out one by one, offering Zane sympathetic glances.

Except for Lloyd who grabbed Zane's arm in a death grip. "I believe you."

Zane blinked, still staring at the empty bag of flour on the floor. "Thank you, Lloyd," he said absentmindedly.

 _Maybe it_ was _just his imagination…_

* * *

Lloyd sighed as he began the final battle with the boss dragon. His mother had all but ordered him to do something fun "to get his mind off things," and so he had started playing video games to appease her. But, it did not get his mind off things; it only made it worse. Because several days had passed since Zane's incident in the kitchen with no further sign of Cole, if indeed it had been Cole who knocked the flour over.

 _Of course it was_ , Lloyd argued with himself, and vaguely wondered if it was a sign he was going insane. He couldn't help it. Zane oscillated between being convinced Cole was haunting them and denying that he had ever thought that. Jay faded more with every day. The guilt was eating him alive, and Kai wasn't helping remedy that. The red ninja was just as volatile as he had been that fateful day in the forest, and Lloyd feared he was close to leaving, like they all had after Zane had sacrificed himself to save them from the Overlord. Nya was tearing herself apart trying to bridge the gap between her brother and her ex-boyfriend.

And, what was the Green Ninja doing to stop his family from falling apart? Sitting here uselessly playing video games. If Cole would just _come back already_ …

In the game, Lloyd's character jumped to execute a combo kick move- and froze. The Green Ninja started, hitting a few buttons on his controller, but his character remained in mid-air.

"C'mon…," he groaned to himself, about to turn off the console before he went in search of Nya. At least she would be excited that she got to fix something.

Until suddenly all the colors on the screen smeared together and ear-splitting static filled the room, causing Lloyd to cry out and cover his ears. The game chirped loudly three times, and the screen went dark for an instant- when the picture returned, Lloyd's character was back in the village where he had last saved.

"O-kay…," he murmured to himself, experimentally nudging the control stick to see if his character responded. He did. Huh. So, the game just glitched then.

Shrugging, Lloyd took up the controller again and began moving through the village, which was filled with non-playable characters that one could talk to for advice, to find the final boss again.

This time, Lloyd was the one who froze.

Because, that NPC- that NPC that had _never_ been there before- looked a lot like...

" _Cole_!" He shouted, dashing across the room to kneel directly in front of the television, his face two inches from the screen as he laid his hands gently on the surface. "Cole, it's you! It's really you!"

Lloyd jumped backward when the textbox appeared at the bottom of the screen without prompt from the player.

 _HELP_

The Green Ninja felt his heart stop.

"Of course I'll help you, Cole. Just tell me what I need to do." He whispered, staring at the Cole NPC standing in place with a smile on his face like all the NPCs wore when the player clicked on them. "You know I would do anything for you. Just tell me what you need."

The game chirped again, and Lloyd winced from the volume but did not move away. This time, he would not leave his brother behind.

... _cANt..._

"Can't what?" Lloyd demanded, leaning closer. "Tell me how to help you, Cole!"

With a pop and a spark, the screen went black. Lloyd stared incredulously, before wrinkling his nose at the smell of burning plastic. When he looked down, there was a small tendril of smoke rising from the game console. It was completely fried.

* * *

 **Happy Thanksgiving if you celebrate it! I'm thankful for all of you that have taken the time to read!**


	3. He Needs Our Help

**Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed!**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: Haha, yes, everyone could just be going insane! Thankfully, though, we'll find out a *little* more about what's going on this chapter! Tell me what you think of it! Thank you so much for taking the time to review!**

 **RandomDragon: Oh my gosh, thank you! "Wow" is one the most marvelous compliments in my book :D Yes, poor Kai :'( Definitely needs to pay more attention to Nya, since she is struggling too! We'll see how the others react to Lloyd's little encounter, but I think you hit the nail right on the head! Thanks again for your review!**

 **Peanut: Yes, yes, yes! You totally got it that each ninja represents a different phase of the grief cycle! I thought it was an interesting concept, and it makes me so happy that someone actually caught that! And, I know it's so sad that Kai would hit Lloyd- but, don't worry, it was just a little slap! Lloyd and Nya are definitely very, very close on his protectiveness scale, so it shows how much he's hurting that he would actually lash out at one of them! I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much! Thank you so much!**

 **TheYellowNinja: Yay! Be sure to let me know if your opinion changes :/ But, it makes me so happy that you actually look forward to my updates! Sorry about PIXAL. It was totally embarrassing once I realized that I had COMPLETELY forgotten about her... Anyway, thanks for your continued support!**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: I was definitely going for a creepy/mysterious atmosphere, so I'm glad I succeeded on that front! Yes, at least Cole is reaching out- BUT, considering he asked for help last chapter, I don't know if things will "settle down" if everyone believes he's there XD I am SO happy you caught the fact that the first thing Cole does is ruin dinner! I couldn't resist putting that in there :D I'm glad you're okay without PIXAL and agree with me about Kai. Thanks for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter!**

* * *

"How is this not enough proof?!" Lloyd yelled, pushing the half-melted game console at his three skeptical companions. His eyes were red from crying, but now his cheeks were flushed with anger. At least Zane was beside him. This, coupled with his own experience, convinced the nindroid of what the others were adamant about denying: Cole was here and trying to contact them. "He was in the game. He _talked_ to me. He needs our _help_!"

They were gathered in the black ninja's bedroom, coming to Jay since Jay would not come to them. Kai had outright refused to attend the meeting Lloyd had called, but Nya had dragged him there. Jay was leaning against the headboard of Cole's bed, staring at his hands in his lap.

"Grow. Up. Lloyd." Kai ground out, gritting his teeth. "You are driving yourself _insane_. You think just because Zane _malfunctioned_ and claimed that Cole knocked something over that he's back. Now you're trying to convince yourself and us that he was in a _video game_?"

"He was!" Lloyd insisted, clutching the console to his chest as if Kai had insulted it. "I saw him! He-"

"Then why didn't he just appear to you in real life, huh? If he's here, why doesn't he show up right now, with all of us in here, and _prove_ it?" Kai's words were like acid, biting into the Green Ninja's skin and burning him.

Lloyd looked down, tears collecting on his eyelids as he thought back to the last thing Cole had said to him and only now understanding what he meant. "He _can't_."

"And yet, he somehow could for _you_."

There it was. The same jealousy that tainted Kai's voice whenever they talked about being the Green Ninja.

"It's not about _who_ he appears to, Kai," Lloyd snapped, narrowing his eyes at his brother's pettiness at a time like this. "Something's wrong with him. He can only stay for a short amount of time before disappearing again. He asked for _help_ , so we need to-"

"What's wrong with him is that Jay killed him," Kai interrupted, standing. Jay flinched and tears started to silently run down his face. "And until you can prove that he's here, don't bother me again."

With that, he stomped out of the room.

"Nya," Zane addressed quietly, turning to the water ninja still seated on Cole's bed. "Do you believe us?"

She bit her lip. "I believe you think you saw him."

Lloyd, desperate now, said, "Nya-"

"I know you want Cole to be back more than anything, guys- I do too- but I think you're letting yourselves see what you want to see." In the distance, a door slammed, and Nya sighed. "I should probably go check on him."

Once she was gone, Lloyd and Zane turned to the last remaining ninja. "Jay?"

Jay shook his head without looking up, and Lloyd struggled to recall the last time he'd seen the blue ninja- well, do _anything_. "Please don't bring it up again, guys," he said quietly, wrapping himself up in the black blanket that had once belonged to Cole. "You can't get my hopes up again."

Lloyd and Zane shared a look then quietly left the room. Jay laid on his back and watched the ceiling.

* * *

"Kai," Nya began as she pushed open the door to her brother's bedroom. The red ninja was rifling through his drawers with an almost feverish thoroughness. "You can't keep doing this."

"Doing what?"

"Acting like a jerk." At this point, Nya was the only one who could say that to him without being afraid of getting socked in the mouth. "Especially to Jay."

He rounded on her. "He _deserves_ -"

"It was an _accident_."

They glared at each other. Kai looked away first.

"We all grieve in our own way," Nya began again, more gently this time. "And, that's why everyone has been extremely forgiving about your behavior. But, at some point, it has to end."

"You're right," he conceded, turning back to his dresser. "That's why I think we should leave."

Nya recoiled, shocked. " _What_?"

"You know, leave, get out of here," Kai clarified, throwing some random articles of clothing onto the bed that he would presumably pack later. "I can't stand living in the same place as Jay anymore. I can't look at everything here that _reminds_ me of-" he stopped and cleared his throat. "I just need some space."

Nya shook her head. "Kai-"

The door slammed.

Both ninja jumped, whipping around to see who entered.

No one was there.

"Not funny, Lloyd!" Kai shouted at the supposed perpetrator. "See, and this whole thing with those two thinking Cole is back, just-"

The lamp flew off the nightstand and shattered on the ground, making both ninja in the room shriek.

"Kai," Nya whispered, voice trembling. "What if-"

"No." The red ninja shook his head, though his eyes were wide as he stared at the pile of broken glass that used to be his lamp. "Don't you start too. It's Zane and Lloyd; they're making us think… We need to get out-"

The room exploded in chaos. Anything not screwed down began falling to the floor in succession; books were ripped off shelves, anything breakable was smashed on the ground and destroyed, clothing was torn out of the drawers and thrown about the room.

Kai and Nya huddled together, shielding their heads and flinching away from everything that broke.

"Kai," Nya shouted over the dull roar of noise sweeping throughout the room. "It-It's Cole!"

" _If_ it is, why would he do this?" Kai replied just as loudly. They both shrieked when the lightbulb above their heads blew out, and Kai sprang to shield his sister from the broken glass raining down upon them.

Nya gasped with realization. "He's _scared_ , Kai! He's scared we're going to leave!"

Kai felt a solid shove to his chest then, knocking him to the floor. Nothing had hit him, but _something_ had...

He held up a hand when Nya made to help him up.

"I'm not going anywhere, Cole!" Kai announced to the room at large, propping himself up on his elbows. "I'm going to stay right here with you!"

Immediately, the room was still.

Kai couldn't believe it worked. Because if it did, that meant…

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his head. Once again, no one was there- there _wasn't_ a hand on his head- but someone was brushing the broken glass out of his hair. Like he was apologizing.

"That's it, bro," Kai said soothingly even as tears of joy leaked out of his eyes. "Nothing to be afraid of, see? You know I could never leave you."

And, if he squinted, he thought he could _just_ make out Cole's outline kneeling in front of him. Then he blinked, and it was gone.

Nya and Kai could only stare at each other in astonishment once they were sure he was gone. Then, she dove into Kai's arms and wrapped her arms around him.

"He's here," she sobbed, and Kai rested his cheek on the top of her head. "Cole, he's… he's…,"

"Yeah, sis," Kai confirmed quietly, squeezing her as tight as he could. "He's really here."

* * *

"Jay, please, we've all seen him now," Nya begged, sitting on Cole's bed beside the blue ninja, who was laying on his back and watching her without a hint of concern or interest. "Kai and I saw him at the same time, so we know we're not just losing our minds. He's here, and he's calling out to us. He needs our help."

Jay shook his head. "I heard him hit the water, Nya. He's dead. I killed him."

"What is _wrong_ with you?" Kai demanded, stalking forward from where he'd been lurking near the doorway. Lloyd and Zane, who had been ecstatic that they now had the siblings on their side, were currently buried in research, trying to find what might have happened to Cole and why he could not solidify himself. So far, they had found nothing (ghosts of people who had not actually died were apparently a rare population), which is why they could really use an extra set of hands.

Kai, despite now pouring his energy into saving Cole rather than denying his existence, did not appear to hate Jay any less for it.

"We finally have a chance to get him back, and you would rather wallow here in self-pity?" Kai continued, his fists trembling by his sides. Nya gave him a warning glance but didn't try to stop him. "Even when it's _your_ fault he's like this?"

Jay's eyes dropped to the fists before he rolled over to face the wall. "Hit me all you want, Kai. I can't risk believing there's a way to fix this. It'll hurt too much when we're wrong."

Kai stared incredulously at the back of the blue ninja. "You are so _selfish_." He turned on his heel. "I knew this was a waste of time. Come on, Nya."

Nya hesitated a moment longer before standing. "If you change your mind, Jay…" She walked across the room but stopped in the doorway.

"He wouldn't want to see you like this."

She closed the door gently behind her.

Jay pressed his face into the pillow and cried.

At some point he must have fallen asleep. He woke up slowly, purposely keeping his eyes closed when he sensed someone touching his face. Probably Nya. While he would have been ecstatic- _before_ \- now he only wanted to be left alone.

Sighing, he opened his eyes. He was lying on his back, looking up at-

At-

At-

Cole.

Cole.

 _Cole_.

His form was even more translucent than usual, just barely illuminated by the moonlight shining through the window, but it was definitely Cole. His brother- his _brother_ \- was stroking his hair, and it sounded like he was humming- some faint, wordless tune that may or may not have just been the wind.

When Cole- _Cole_ \- noticed Jay watching him, he started, retracting his hand in shock.

"You can see me?"

Jay jumped into a sitting position and wrapped his brother in his arms- yes, _yes_ , he was here, he was _here_ \- and wept, careful to keep any tears from falling onto his ghostly form.

"Cole, I'm- I'm- I'm _sorry_!" He sobbed, not sure if his words were even understandable. "You know- You know that I love you, right? You know I didn't mean it, and-and you know I would do anything- _anything_ \- to take it back, right?"

The way Jay saw it, there were two ways Cole could respond: " _Of course I know you didn't mean it. I love you too, bro."_ or " _You think I could forgive you that easily for killing me?_ " He hoped for the former but expected the latter, so he held his breath and waited.

But nothing could have prepared him for the response he got.

"Who's Cole?"

Jay pulled away in shock- but there was no one there. He was holding empty space.

* * *

Kai's eyes flew open when he felt the hand on his shoulder- and narrowed when he saw who it was.

"What do _you_ want?"

Here it was, the middle of the night, and Jay had the _nerve_ to-

"He needs our help."

* * *

 **Yay! Everyone's on board! Let me know what you think about Cole's... "predicament."**


	4. The Long Sleep

**Thanks again to everyone who has read and reviewed!**

 **Replies to reviews:**

 **RandomDragon: I** **t's okay if you're stumped! So are the ninja. XD They are definitely on the way to a new adventure. Yang is certainly a good idea, so you'll have to wait and see what the ninja decide to do (sorry, no spoilers!) Thank you for taking the time to review! :D**

 **Peanut: Haha, if I shocked you that much, I've done my job! XD Yes, I love the idea of Cole wanting to comfort Jay even when he doesn't remember him, and the imagery of him humming to him while he sleeps was too cute to pass up. :D Believe me, if you were sad reading the scene with Kai, imagine how hard it was for me to write it. :'( Cole wants everyone to be together even when he can't remember them! Please don't hate Kai, though! He is certainly not treating Jay right, but he's grieving too! And, yes, now we will see everyone finally on the same page! :D Thank you so much reading and reviewing! I hope you like this chapter!**

 **TheYellowNinja: It makes me so happy to know you think I'm a good writer! *blush* I don't like stories that drag out unimportant things, so I try to move the plot along a step or so each chapter. Hopefully this chapter is interesting enough. :D Keeping everyone in character is, in my opinion, one of the hardest things to do, so I'm glad they came across realistically! Kai's was probably the easiest. XD Thank you so much and be sure to let me know what you think of this next chapter!**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: I definitely agree about Cole! Why do you think he's my favorite? Ha, thanks! I thought the stages of grief was a fun detail to include. Cole is the least intimidating ghost ever when he's handing out loving head pats. (Cole-tergeist, that's genius! XD) Jay was certainly in need of one. :D You have a lot of very good, understandable questions! I think this chapter will clear them up, but if you are still unclear after reading it, leave a review and I'll be happy to explain! Everyone knowing Cole is present has given them a common goal, but we are certainly not at the end of the emotional rollercoaster! :D Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: I was definitely going for a classic horror movie/mysterious feel, so I am so glad I succeeded! I hope you like the direction the story goes in! Thank you so much! :D**

 **rbrill345: Wow! "In shock" is a HUGE honor! You know about as much as the ninja at this point, but they're certainly going to do everything in their power to find out! Thank you so much for taking the time to review!**

* * *

He was scared when he woke up. He was drawn to this place, but he couldn't remember his before. If he forgot, he must have been forgotten, so he was glad he didn't remember.

That was a lie. He wished he remembered.

But, watching the people helped. They had something. It took him a long time to remember the word- _love_ \- but he liked watching them. Being close to love was a little bit like being a part of it.

He didn't like watching the old people. They made him sad, and he did not want to be sad.

The white one was fun to watch. He talked to everyone, and so accompanying him was like going on a tour. He didn't mean to mess up the cooking; honestly, he had only been trying to help. It looked fun, and never for a moment did he think he would actually _move_ anything. The white one was the first one to notice he was there, and he tried to talk back, but then he was just so _tired_ and he had to go back into the long sleep.

When he woke up, he was scared again. He was afraid a long time had passed, and that the family would be gone. They were still there, so he went to the green one, who always made him happy. The green one smiled a lot. He was still a little scared though, so he tried to ask for help, for a way to stay with them, for a way to not have to go into the long sleep again. It was then that he learned that the family was missing somebody named Cole, and the green one thought that was him. He wanted to learn more about Cole, but, inevitably, he had to go back into the long sleep.

Less time had passed when he woke up next, and he was happy. The red one was mad, and the girl was trying to help. He liked her for that, because he liked to help too. Then the red one said they were leaving, they were _leaving_ , and he couldn't help it, because he was so scared, because he wanted to keep being near this family with their love, and they couldn't leave him like his memories had left him, like whoever he'd been before had left him, like those who had loved him had left him, if anybody had loved him at all.

He didn't mean to make such a mess, but he couldn't help it. He was scared. Then, the red one promised- he _promised_ \- not to leave, and he felt bad for what he'd done. He tried to make it better, and the red one seemed happy even though he was crying. The red one and the girl both called him Cole too, and only then did he start to think a little bit- _hope_ \- that maybe he really was Cole.

The blue one made him sad, but not in the same way the old people made him sad. The blue one cried a lot, and he felt a need that was as essential to him as… well, nothing was really essential to him anymore, besides the urge to protect this fragile creature. He didn't mean to wake him up. He didn't mean to make him cry.

But, the blue one could _see_ him, at least for a second, and started saying things that were never meant for a forgotten ghost like him- _I'm sorry, I love you_ \- and he berated himself for ever thinking that he could take these things meant for Cole. But, with time, maybe he could _become_ Cole, be the person this family missed very much, so he had to know…

"Who's Cole?"

He didn't hear the answer. He had to go back into the long sleep.

* * *

"But, Master Wu, he's so lost and scared. You should have seen what he did to Kai's room," Nya begged, holding out the scroll to their sensei once again. The seven present members of the Destiny's Bounty were gathered around the kitchen table for breakfast, where the five ninja had revealed that not only had Cole tried to approach each of them, but that they had a solution to the problem.

Correction: they _thought_ they had a solution.

"No. The Summoning Spell is incredibly dangerous, especially when attempted by amateurs," he answered, stroking his long white beard.

"Then you do it," Kai answered shortly, not seeing the problem. Several days had passed since Jay's encounter with Cole, but finally they had stumbled upon the Summoning Spell, which could call any ghost to them and force it into a visible state for the duration of the ritual. If they could just _talk_ to Cole, find out what they could do to help him...

"I am not skilled enough to pull off the spell either," Wu admitted, fixing Kai with a firm gaze. "Only a master sorcerer, one such as Clouse, could without fear of unforeseen consequences."

"He doesn't know who he is," Jay explained, shovelling another bite of cereal into his mouth. Discovering Cole was here if not _here_ hadn't eradicated the guilt, not by a long shot, but it helped him focus on something other than self-loathing. He had taken to eating and moving more and had tackled the research with a vengeance. He had already told the story in great detail a multitude of times, but he thought another repetition would stress the severity of the situation to their sensei. "He's broken- confused. He needs us."

"I understand that," Master Wu replied, his tone level. "And, it pains my heart greatly. But, I cannot risk my other students, and very possibly all of Ninjago, to save one. I am sorry." He bowed his head, more upset than he let on, as he stood and left the room.

Misako sighed, "He's right, kids. It's too dangerous. Take comfort in the fact that Cole is here, surrounded by those who love him, instead of alone in the Realm of the Departed." With that, she followed Master Wu out of the room.

The five ninja were silent for a moment. No one felt like eating anymore.

Finally, Zane asked, "What are we going to do now?"

Lloyd stood up. "We're going to do the Summoning Spell."

* * *

"Okay, I think that should do it," Nya announced, comparing the intricate chalk seal she had drawn on the floor of Cole's bedroom with the example provided on the Summoning Spell scroll for the third time. It was a circle that was wide enough for one person to stand perfectly inside with an outline of arcane symbols and intricate designs, but they had done well choosing the perfectionist to copy it down.

"I got his old gi, his old comb, and a big rock." Jay announced, entering the room with said items in his possession. Zane followed, carefully holding a tall, carefully iced, decadent chocolate cake. "And, Zane baked his favorite, triple chocolate. Do these things, um, 'embody his earthly essence' enough?"

"A big rock?" Lloyd asked, taking the scroll from Nya to study its instructions for the umpth time. Like all things useful but ancient, it was frustratingly vague.

"You know… for earth…?"

Lloyd ruminated on that for a moment before nodding. "Sounds good to me. We have to place each item at the cardinal points. Zane, if you would…?"

"And, done!" Kai exclaimed triumphantly, lighting the final candle in a corner of the room with his aching thumb. "One candle for each year he was alive- er, mortal."

Lloyd finished looking over the scroll. "That's… everything. Except for the incantation." He looked at each of his team members in turn. "Are you guys ready?"

"Lloyd," Nya stepped forward uncertainly. "What if Master Wu is right? What if we do something wrong and summon… something _else_ instead?"

"The circle should keep whatever spirit we call contained, and us standing around it will help force it in- as long as no one enters the circle. Inside the circle, the ghost can do whatever it wants to you." Lloyd explained, even though he seemed a lot more unsure than he probably would have liked to appear. "The ritual doesn't last long, so we would only have to keep an evil ghost contained for a handful of minutes at most." He sighed. "But that means we don't have long to talk to Cole either, depending on how weak he is."

"My sensors indicate eighty seven percent certainty that we have performed the ritual correctly thus far." Zane offered.

Jay smiled, gesturing at Zane confidently, "See, that's not-"

"Excuse my miscalculation. Fifty seven percent."

Jay pressed his mouth into a thin line. "Well, it's over half…?"

"I don't care if we summon _Morro_ by accident," Kai declared, crossing his arms. This was a bold claim, considering they all knew the deep hatred the red ninja still harbored for their nemesis. "I'm doing whatever it takes to get Cole back."

"Me too," Jay agreed quietly, dropping his jovial mood in favor of a more serious one. Kai looked at him sharply but said nothing.

"Okay," Lloyd unrolled the scroll completely and held it in both hands. "Everyone stand around the circle. Let's do this."

As the Green Ninja began to recite the incantation, the five of them immediately felt the room drop in temperature. An eerie, unnatural breeze, reminding them unwillingly of Morro, swirled about the room, causing the candles to flicker. They had to wait until the moon had risen to begin the ritual, and they had turned off the light, meaning the room was illuminated only by the candles and the faint amount of moonlight that passed through the window.

As Lloyd began approaching the end of the spell, the wind picked up to a roar, as if they were in the midst of a storm. There was a _crack,_ like the earth itself was splitting open, and they had to resist the urge to cover their ears. As he finished the incantation with a triumphant flourish, all of the candles went out simultaneously.

Nothing happened.

Kai scoffed, "Of _course-_ "

The candles relit themselves.

And now, standing within the chalk circle, as solid and visible and _present_ as he ever had been as a ghost, as any ghost could ever _dream_ of being, was Cole.

He peered at his ghostly green hands as if he could not fathom their purpose. The others held their breaths, unable to speak now that they had the ability.

"You _summoned_ me," Cole whispered. A genuine, heartbreakingly innocent smile spread across his face, and he wrapped his arms around his chest like he was hugging himself. "You can _see_ me!"

Kai took a deep breath but could not bring himself to ask the question that was on everyone's mind- _do you know who you are?_ \- so instead he asked, "Do you know me?"

Cole turned to face Kai head on, dropping his arms. "Of course I do!"

They caught their breaths, faces lighting up-

"You're the red one, because you get angry a lot."

Cole's face crumpled in unison with theirs, and he looked at the ground. He grabbed his left elbow with the opposite hand, the picture of remorse. "I'm sorry I broke your stuff," he whispered, as if afraid they had gone to the trouble of summoning him only to punish him. "I didn't mean to. I was just scared that…," he trailed off.

"It's okay," Kai replied, disappointment evident in his voice.

Quickly, Cole added, "I'm sorry I'm not him."

All five of them looked up in surprise.

"Sorry you're not… who?" Lloyd prompted. Cole turned to face him, but the ghost was constantly glancing at the others, as if he didn't know who to give his attention to.

"I'm sorry I'm not Cole." They all caught their breaths, but he continued. "I know you miss him a lot, and you thought that I… just… sorry."

"You _are_ Cole," Zane asserted, and Cole turned to stare at him in disbelief.

A long moment passed before the ghost was able to speak. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Zane confirmed, a fond smile touching his lips. "And, you have four brothers and a sister who love you very much."

Cole blinked, looking at each of them in turn like he was gauging their sincerity before staring at his hands again with renewed awe. "So, I wasn't forgotten…,"

"No, you weren't," Nya tried this time, shuffling forward but careful not to touch the chalk circle. "We love you, Cole, and we want to help you. Can you tell us what's wrong? Do you have any idea why you lost your memory? Or why you're so much weaker than you were before?"

He thought a moment, his gaze drifting toward the floor- not in shame this time but maybe… sleepiness?

He slowly raised a hand to his chest, pressing it to where his heart was as if it was causing him physical pain. "I don't know." Already his voice was wispy, fading in and out like he was speaking to them over the comm with a bad connection. "Sometimes I feel like something's missing." The image of his body flickered in and out of view a few times as if to prove his point.

"We're running out of time," Lloyd hissed at the others.

"What does that _mean_?" Kai demanded, the time limit pressing down on all of them.

"Something's missing…," Cole repeated. He sat down heavily, as if his legs could no longer support him, and disappeared momentarily before reappearing again. The others started, wanting to go to him, but stopped upon remembering the circle. "I've already used up too much energy… I'll have to go back into the long sleep after this…,"

He looked up and smiled tiredly at them. "But, I'll try to remember when I wake up. That I was Cole. That I wasn't forgotten."

The others panicked, unsure what to do, because they _couldn't_ lose him, not again, not like this, not when they still had no idea what to do, not when, really, they had only made it worse-

Jay dashed into the chalk circle and hugged Cole to his chest.

"Jay, get back!" Lloyd yelled but made no move to interfere. He was sorely lacking in knowledge of ancient rituals and didn't know what would happen now that Jay had entered the circle or what would happen if someone else did. All he could do was watch.

"You need a tether, right? Something here in the physical world?" Jay whispered quickly though everyone could hear. He tightened his grip on his fading brother, held him fast.

"Possess me."

The ninja outside the circle gasped.

"Jay, don't!" Nya warned, but the blue ninja completely ignored her, appeared not to have even heard her.

Cole tilted his head back to study Jay's face with half-lidded eyes. "No."

"What?" Jay recoiled, holding Cole at arm's length so he could look at him better. "Cole, you _have_ to! There's no other choice!"

The ghost shook his head back and forth slowly, his form appearing less and less solid as the seconds went by. "I don't want to hurt you…,"

"I don't _care_!" Jay shouted, tears rolling down his face. "I don't _care_ what happens to me! I don't _care_ if you possess me for the rest of my life! I don't _care_ if I have to take your place! I am _not_ losing you again!" He slammed his brother against his chest, as if he could force the possession himself.

" _Please_ , Cole," he begged as the candles flickered and the wind picked up again and the earth split open with that same thunderous roar…

The candles went out, plunging the room into near darkness. This time they did not relight.

When Nya managed to find the light switch, they saw Jay still kneeling inside the circle, arms held perfectly still in front of him as if he was still holding someone.

No one was there.

"Jay…," Lloyd said, approaching the shell-shocked blue ninja and placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's-"

The second Lloyd made contact with his flesh, Jay suddenly reanimated, scrambling away from the Green Ninja and staring up at him with naked fear.

"No…," Zane stepped forward slowly, and Jay watched him approach with the same terrified expression. The nindroid carefully crouched to the floor and kneeled in front of the blue ninja as the other three watched, enraptured.

"You're Cole, aren't you?"

Ashamed tears filled Jay's eyes but didn't overflow. "I didn't mean to."

Kai, Nya, and Lloyd looked at each other, equal parts ecstatic, shocked, and anxious.

"It's alright," Zane reassured, reaching out his hand. Jay- _Cole_ \- flinched away from it, and Zane placed it back at his side.

"I didn't mean to," Cole- Cole in Jay's body- repeated, folding in on himself. "But he wanted me to and I was scared of going back into the long sleep and then- and then-"

Jay's eyes suddenly fluttered shut, and he pitched forward, unconscious. Zane barely managed to catch him before his face slammed into the floor.

No one spoke for a long time.

Finally, Lloyd sighed. "I… Honestly, I don't know what this means for us, guys." He ran a hand through his hair, blowing out a breath in a harsh exhale. "We have Cole, so that's good, but possession is _not_ a solution- I think I would know- so-"

"Let's answer those questions in the morning," Nya finished, wrapping an arm around the shoulders of the Green Ninja, who suddenly seemed much younger. "When Jay- Cole- whoever- is awake, okay?"

Lloyd nodded, exhausted. "Yeah. Let's do that."

Zane tried to maneuver Jay's body into a position where he could easily lift him- when Kai touched his shoulder.

"Let me," is all Kai said before scooping up the blue ninja in his arms. His face was deliberately arranged into a neutral expression, but his movements were undeniably tender as he carried Jay to Cole's bed and pulled the blanket over him.

Kai probably hoped the others were too distracted to notice, but Zane caught him resting a hand on Jay's head for a moment longer than necessary before quickly leaving the room.

* * *

 **Cole's possessing Jay now! What could possibly go wrong? :D**

 **Out of curiosity, is this a good chapter length for you guys? Or is it too long? If you do think they should be shorter, should I update more frequently? Please let me know!**


	5. Bad Luck

**Thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed! Also, special thanks to all of you who provided feedback on the chapter length! From what I gathered, most of you are okay with this length, so chapters will average 2000-3000 words unless people complain that they're too long! (Also, this one is on the longer side... Oops. XD)**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **rbrill: Aw, you think I'm a great writer? That means the world to me! Compliments on my writing are especially gratifying. :D I hope you like this next chapter as well! Thank you for taking the time review!**

 **Snow: Believe me, there's plenty of crazy things still in store. (Referring to the summary, we still have "traveling through realms" and "a former arch-enemy" to get to, so we're nowhere close to finished yet XD) This chapter we'll see the aftermath of Jay's decision, and I hope you like where I go with it! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!**

 **Random: Poor, poor Cole, I'm sorry to put you through waking up with amnesia. :'( We'll get to see Kai's reaction this chapter! Haha, it means the world to me that you're invested in the story! Thanks so much!**

 **hranrade: Wow, I'm so honored that you've deemed this a high-quality fic! And, I KNOW RIGHT?! _Hello_ , perfect Cole-centered season waiting to happen! But, _noooo_ , he had to conveniently find a way to become human again. Whatever, I'm not bitter. Except I wrote a very long, intense fanfic to make up for it… But, believe me, there's still an epic quest in store! ;) Thanks so much for reviewing!**

 **YellowNinja: Yay, I'm so happy! I consider "page-turner" the highest praise for any sort of literature, so I'm ecstatic you think so! I hope you continue to love it! Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Haha! With regards to your theory, you're on the right track but not quite! Don't worry, the ninja are equally as lost, and I promise it will be explained! (...eventually. XD) I know, Cole's POV was so sad for me to write... Yeah, Wu and Misako are old and are more removed from the "family" Cole's longing for that he sees in the other ninja. (Sorry that didn't come across clearly enough...) Yes, you're completely right about Lloyd! Really twists the knife, doesn't it? True, you should never invoke a bad guy's name, so we'll see what happens with that. ;) And, YES, just wait until you read Wu's part in this chapter! :D For the purposes of this story, Jay's appearance and voice will not change due to Cole's possession. Hopefully this chapter will sufficiently explain why, but feel free to ask more questions if you're still confused! I will tell you that we will see Cole leave Jay's body in the future, so that question will definitely be answered (...eventually.) Fortunately, we _do_ get Kai's reaction this chapter so I don't have to tack an "eventually" onto the end of that. I love your detailed reviews and please ask as many questions as you want! I want to be clear as possible, and questions help me keep in mind what to clarify in future chapters! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!**

* * *

Jay opened his eyes a slit.

Bright, yellow sunlight assaulted his eyeballs, and he closed them again. What _time_ was it? Why did everyone let him sleep so late? Why did he feel… so… tight? Like there was a rock in his stomach, or a knot in his chest; it was fear and anxiety, but almost like it belonged to someone-

 _Cole_.

He remembered, shooting up into a sitting position- and screamed in surprise when he saw Nya sitting in a chair by his bedside.

Nya gasped. "You're finally awake!" She was at the door in a matter of seconds, and called, "Guys, he's awake!"

The other three ninja appeared in the threshold to Cole's bedroom almost instantly, but all four were hesitant to approach any further for fear of startling the skittish spirit that was their brother. Jay stared helplessly back at them, his own anxiety flooding his chest until he was fit to burst.

Finally, Nya dared to take a few steps closer to the bed. "Cole?"

Jay shook his head miserably. "No. It's Jay."

Zane, Lloyd, and Kai took this as their cue to enter the room, and Zane shut the door behind them for privacy's sake.

Nya frowned. "But, if Cole's possessing you, then shouldn't he be the one speaking to us?"

Jay shrugged jerkily, his panic bleeding into his movements. "I don't know. He's… he's inside me. I feel him, but… I thought he'd be the one controlling my body." He glanced at Lloyd. "Like Morro."

"We must look at this logically," Zane announced, though the furrowed brow gave way to his worry. "Morro was a very powerful ghost, more powerful than Cole even in his original state, and we've already established that Cole was somehow weakened considerably after his contact with water."

"Zane's right," Lloyd confirmed. To Jay, he explained, "When Morro was possessing me… it was like he was constantly holding me down, keeping me away from my own body. He was like an all-encompassing force that I had to fight just for a second of control. It was _suffocating_." Lloyd shuddered, and Kai squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. The Green Ninja shook himself out of his memories and asked, "How do you feel now?"

Jay pondered the question, rubbing his chest like it ached. "It's not like that at all. I can feel him, sure, but he's… small. And, I have complete control." Jay sighed, dropping his gaze to his lap that still had the black blanket draped over it. "I guess I didn't help Cole at all. Having him trapped inside me isn't much better than-"

"Hey, what happened to ninja never quit?" Nya challenged, sitting on the bed in front of Jay. "So, we try something else. If Cole can't take control, then give it to him."

The blue ninja picked sulkily at the blanket, rubbing the fleece between his fingers. "I don't know how to 'give it to him.'"

"Where did your inventor mind go? We start small and work our way up," she reached and touched Jay's wrist gently, causing the blue ninja to reluctantly meet her gaze. "Try talking to him. Lloyd, you and Morro shared some sort of mental link, right?"

The Green Ninja nodded. "I could see a little into his head, just like he could see into mine," he grimaced. "Not a fun place."

Jay huffed. "Fine." He closed his eyes, feeling silly. "Cole? Can you hear me?"

 _...Jay...?_

Jay yelped, making everyone in the room start. "Cole!" He shouted excitedly. "Wait, you know my name?"

"What is he saying, Jay?" Zane asked, all of them waiting with bated breath and wide eyes.

Jay stared back at the nindroid, confused, "What, you guys didn't hear that? He said my name, clear as day!"

"You can speak to each other in your mind," Lloyd clarified. "Not that Morro and I spent a lot of time chatting, but it did happen."

"Okay, let me try," Jay closed his eyes again, focusing on forming each individual word in his head, visualizing them, and then broadcasting them.

 _Cole? Are you there?_

And then, his brother's voice, as warm and familiar and comforting as it always had been.

 _Yeah, Jay. I'm here._

Jay gasped, clutching a hand to his chest. A euphoric grin graced his features. "I hear him." The others sagged with relief, but before they could respond, Jay continued. "I'm going to try to let him control my body now."

Jay closed his eyes again to help him focus. He found the experience almost impossible to describe. It was something deep inside him- something there but not really there; not physical, but perhaps spiritual- and with that he reached out to Cole's soul, trying to submit, to take his place in the back of his mind, to-

Suddenly, Jay was looking out of his body as if through a tunnel. He was still _there_ \- Nya was still there in front of him, and the guys were hovering nervously to his left- but the movements, the now rapidly beating heart, even the breath, were not his own. It wasn't scary, though; at least, not in the way Lloyd described it. Jay likened Cole's soul to a child he was holding on his shoulders. Sure, the child was above him, but he could set him down at any time and reassume control. Instead of being held down, he was helping Cole up.

The others must have noticed a change come over Jay, because Nya, touching his wrist again, whispered, "Cole?"

Cole nodded absently. He peered at each of the ninja in turn with an expression of consternation, raising a hand to his cheek as if testing his ability to touch and shocked that he could feel anything at all.

Finally, he returned his gaze to his hands- Jay's hands- before looking up with a shadow of a smile on his face.

"I remember."

Kai, speaking up for the first time, stepped forward and squeezed Cole's shoulder like he was afraid the ghost would slip right through his fingers. "Are you saying…?"

Cole laid his opposite hand on top of Kai's, still trying to get used to not phasing through everything he touched. "Kai," he announced, his tone was full of recognition, affection, and… _happiness_. Shrugging sheepishly, though the smile didn't drop from his face, he elaborated, "It's… hazy in some places, and I'm missing a few pieces here and there, but yeah. I remember." He squeezed Kai's hand. "I'm Cole."

And then Kai was hugging him, and then _everyone_ was hugging him, piling on top of him so they all collapsed onto the floor laughing and crying just a little bit until Cole complained that he couldn't breathe and then laughed some more because he _needed_ to breathe for the first time in months but it was okay- _everything_ was okay- because finally, _finally_ , he was back, he was here, he was _home_.

Eventually, they found themselves gathered in a loose circle on the floor, more or less around the chalk seal where Cole had first appeared to them. Nya, watching Cole study his new body in perplexity- the less muscular, more lithe frame, the paler skin, even the unfamiliar blue gi- mustered up the courage to ask the question everyone was thinking but no one wanted to verbalize in case it would shatter this wonderful, fledgling illusion.

"How?" She whispered.

Cole looked up at her with Jay's eyes, and she found it a bit unsettling that, really, she couldn't know who she was talking to for sure. "How do I remember?" He pressed his mouth into a line, thinking. "It's like… How do I put this? It's like I have all these half-memories- like in a dream when you know something happened, and you can _almost_ see it, but you don't really remember. Jay's memories," he tapped his head, lip quirking fondly at the mention of the brother who gave up so much for him, "connect the dots for me."

"So, you only remember what Jay remembers?" Lloyd asked.

"Pretty much."

"So, you cannot you recall any memories from your childhood?" Zane checked, hand on his chin like he was trying to figure out the purpose of some new piece of machinery.

Cole's face was blank before, for the first time since his return, his smile dropped and he fidgeted nervously with his sleeve. "Something about dancing."

The other four shared concerned glances, but, for Cole's sake, managed to keep their panic at bay.

"Like I said, possession was never supposed to be a permanent solution," Lloyd began gently. "There has to be a way to restore you to the way you were before. You don't know what happened to you?"

Cole closed his eyes like he was trying to remember. "I fell in the water. When I woke up, I felt, like, a pull toward the Destiny's Bounty, but I couldn't remember anything. I knew this place was familiar, but…," he touched a hand to his chest. "But, I don't know what happened in between. I feel… emptier than I was before. Less solid. Like I'm constantly hungry." He opened his eyes and offered an only partially forced grin. "Which isn't that different from how I was before, but…,"

Everyone laughed at the joke, even though no one really felt like laughing anymore.

"Speaking of hunger," Zane began, standing up. "You- well, you two- haven't had lunch yet! I will make a celebratory feast in honor of your return, Cole!" And, with that, the nindroid rushed out of the room, eager to begin the task he had set out for himself.

The others laughed at Zane's antics, also standing. "You always did appreciate his cooking the most, Cole," Nya pointed out, elbowing him.

"Believe me, I can't wait," Cole said. "I'm- er, _we're_ starving."

Lloyd and Nya left the bedroom as well, and Cole made to follow- until he felt a hand lock onto his arm.

He turned back to Kai, who seemed distinctly uncomfortable even if anything further was indiscernible from his expression. "What's up?"

"Cole, I'm really, _really_ happy you're back, but I need to talk to Jay," The red ninja replied, not meeting his eyes. As an afterthought, he added, "If that's okay."

"Yeah, of course," Cole nodded then closed his eyes.

Jay's body tensed up, leaning almost imperceptibly away from Kai. When he opened his eyes, they were guilty and wary, and Kai knew he was speaking to Jay without the blue ninja saying a word.

"It was okay for you to hit me before, Kai," Jay prefaced, watching Kai's fists like a hawk. "But, Cole's in here now, so-"

Kai yanked him into a hug.

"I'm so sorry, Jay."

Jay blinked, unable to process this newest development. "Um. What?"

Kai pulled away, and- and were there _tears_ in his eyes? "I-I blamed you for what happened to Cole, but yesterday when you let him possess you, I thought… I thought that I had chosen one brother over the other, that I made you think I wanted Cole here instead of you." He shook his head. "And, maybe I did too, at some point, but then last night I couldn't sleep because I thought you were _gone_ and… I'm sorry. You were in just as much pain as the rest of us- probably more- and I should have never taken it out on you."

Jay, still not quite believing what he was hearing, said slowly, "No, you had every right to. I deserve it."

"It was an accident," Kai offered a wan smile. "And, you've more than made up for it by doing this for him."

They stared at each other a moment longer before Jay let a small smile grow on his face. "Thanks, Kai."

The red ninja nodded once, clearing his throat to get rid of any leftover huskiness. Satisfied the bridge between them had been repaired, he turned toward the door. "You coming?"

"Yeah- in a second."

Kai gave him an appraising look but ultimately nodded again and left the room.

Jay stood frozen in the middle of the bedroom for a moment, then almost robotically, like he had just been thawed after being frozen for a very long time, he moved to sit gingerly on the edge of the bed.

"Cole?"

 _What is it, Jay?_

It was almost surreal: Jay felt his own emotions like he always had, but there behind the curtain were Cole's emotions, pushing against his own, filling in all the gaps in his own soul. He could feel Cole's worry rising in response to the change in mood and catch glimpses- _impressions_ \- of his thoughts. It was as if he was existing in two places at once or suddenly had double vision. It was disorienting but overall not an unwelcome feeling.

"I'm just… really glad you're back," Jay finally admitted, rubbing hurriedly at his eyes with his sleeve since he knew letting the tears fall now would burn his skin.

 _Me too. And, you_ know _how grateful I am_ , Jay sensed the "but" even before Cole said it. He couldn't see his brother, but he imagined Cole there, leaning against the bedpost and fixing him with that knowing gaze he always seemed to direct toward Jay. _But, you can't be happy like this._

"What's there not to be happy about?" Jay replied out loud, cocking his head in confusion. "I have my best friend back who actually remembers me now. Besides, you can see into my head, so you know I'm not lying."

 _I can see that you think you're happy,_ Cole replied, and Jay rolled his eyes before he could stop himself. Already they were falling back into old habits, and it was the most incredible feeling in the world. _But, no one can be happy giving up their_ body _, Jay. Besides,_ Cole's voice became much quieter. _You also feel guilty._

"No matter what you say about 'not wanting to be a burden' or 'wanting me to happy' or whatever, Cole, I know you really don't want to leave my body."

There was a moment of silence.

 _Well, can you blame me?_

Jay sighed, wishing his brother could just be _here_ and _whole_ again. But, he wasn't, and Jay was going to do whatever it took to hold on to what little of him was left. "Look, like Lloyd said, it's not a permanent solution, okay? Can we please just try to enjoy the fact that you're _back_ instead of dwelling on everything that's still wrong?"

In response, Cole pressed for control, and Jay gladly gave it to him. "Sure. But, I'm driving."

* * *

As the ninja settled around the dining table for their late lunch (which was really closer to dinner at this point), Master Wu and Misako appeared, putting each of them on their guard. They couldn't let their sensei know they had disobeyed his direct orders.

"What's all this?" Master Wu asked, studying the elaborate meal and table setting. Not having time to switch places inconspicuously, Cole smiled awkwardly in his best imitation of Jay when the Spinjitzu master's shrewd gaze landed on him, heart almost beating out of his chest.

"So," Master Wu sighed. "Jay is being possessed by Cole."

There was a chorus of five groans.

"How did you know?" Kai asked.

"I'm old, not deaf," Master Wu stated. "The Summoning Spell you performed last night could wake the dead, which is, in fact, its intention." He waved a hand in Cole's direction. "Besides, Cole could not be a convincing Jay if his life depended on it."

Cole threw his hands in the air. "I didn't even _say_ anything!"

"It's written all over your face."

"Are you mad?" Lloyd asked, preemptively wincing.

"Mad that I was disobeyed? Yes." There was a twinkle in his eye as he laid a fond hand on Cole's shoulder and squeezed. "Mad that Cole is here now? No, of course not."

The meal was the most cheerful they'd had in what felt like _years_ , because at least for now, they were whole and safe and happy again. Cole was ravenous and ate accordingly, though Jay called him a pig from the back of his mind. They reminisced and in this way tested the ghost's memory: the Tournament of Elements was a blur, as was everything in his life before he met Jay, but most of the adventures they'd had as a team were still whole and fresh in his mind. Most importantly, his personality, his values, the person he was at his core, were all intact, and they were more than happy to talk with this Cole than the shadow of him they had spoken to during the Summoning Spell last night.

"What about your elemental powers?" Lloyd asked. "Can you still control earth?"

To answer, Cole cupped his hands together and stared intensely at the space there. Eventually, a small pile of dirt appeared.

He gasped, almost dropping his newly created earth. "I did it! I didn't lose it!"

"Well, _that's_ something I never thought I'd see!" Kai exclaimed. "Jay, Master of Earth!"

"It makes sense that Cole would still possess his elemental powers, even in Jay's body," Zane concluded. "After all, Morro still controlled the wind when he possessed Lloyd."

The Green Ninja shivered and grumbled, "And now I get goosebumps every time I feel a breeze."

"It's not that amazing, guys," Jay complained, taking over from Cole. "Lightning is obviously a way better element than earth anyway."

Jay then turned around and scoffed at himself, indicating his alter ego's arrival, "Ha! Earthquakes do _way_ more damage than thunderstorms."

Jay rebutted yet again, "Yeah, well at least lightning is beautiful _and_ powerful. Everyone stops to watch lightning in the sky. Dirt is ugly and messy."

Cole narrowed his eyes, "You _need_ earth. You live on it. Who needs lightning? It only lasts a second."

"Rarer things are more valuable! We walk all over earth!"

"Exactly! It's underappreciated by puny lightning masters who think-"

"Okay, guys, enough!" Nya shouted, shaking Jay's arm to snap him out of it. She might have stopped the fight earlier, but all of them were _way_ too entertained watching Jay hold an entire two-sided argument seemingly by himself. "How are you guys going to share a body if you can't even get along?"

"We get along just fine!" Jay claimed, grinning to prove it. "Right, Cole?"

Cole took over and rolled his eyes while saying sarcastically, "Yeah. Just peachy."

"We'll be _fine_ ," Jay insisted, glaring at the space in front of him that was apparently Cole's placeholder.

"It's not going to be like this forever," Lloyd assured, pounding his fist into the opposite hand. "Tomorrow, we'll start researching to find a way to restore Cole so he doesn't have to share a body with you anymore, Jay."

The blue ninja shrugged. "Okay."

"In the meantime, you guys want to watch a movie?" Kai asked. "I would suggest video games, but Cole kind of ruined that idea…,"

"I said I was sorry, okay?" Cole protested playfully, elbowing Kai. "But, Jay and I are going to pass. We're pretty tired."

"But, you slept all morning!" Lloyd pointed out, disappointed.

"Jay does have to carry two souls inside him now," Zane stated. "He would probably need more energy than usual, which would explain the increased slumber and calorie intake. I imagine it was the same for you and Morro."

Lloyd scratched the back of his head, thinking. "Well… not really. Then again, that whole time is kind of hazy for me…,"

"You guys can argue about slumber and calorie intake all you want," Cole said, standing and heading toward the entrance of the kitchen. "We're going to bed."

He waved a hand over his shoulder to reciprocate the chorus of "goodnights." Almost immediately upon entering their bedroom, he collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Jay vomited for the third time, clutching the sides of the toilet as Cole tried to exude comforting feelings in the stead of physically being there to rub his back or get him a glass of water.

Once he was sure he was finished, Jay flushed and slumped back against the bathtub that was across from the toilet.

"That steak must have been undercooked," Jay muttered, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "Of course, it was your fault for making me eat the whole thing."

 _We share a body now. If I'm starving, you're starving,_ Cole replied. Though his tone was playful, Jay could feel the ghost's unease twisting his stomach just as much as the bug making him throw up at two in the morning was. _But, I know my steak, Jay. That one wasn't undercooked._

"Food poisoning then," Jay amended, eying the tile floor and wondering if it would be even remotely comfortable to just curl up and sleep here instead of trying to make the mile-long journey back to his bedroom.

 _Food poisoning? I don't think so._

"Well, I wasn't aware you had become an expert in food-borne illnesses," Jay shot back, whimpering as his stomach cramped again. "It's just food poisoning, Cole. Just bad luck for us, okay?"

 _Yeah…,_ Cole agreed as Jay scrambled to lean over the toilet once again. _Just bad luck…_

* * *

 **So, everything's great again! ...until it's not. It always seems to go that way for the ninja, doesn't it?**


	6. Everything's Going to Be Fine

**Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my story! Shout outs to Loki God of Evil, RandomDragon, Tex1412, SnowNinjaAJ,** **xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx, YinYangBroandSis, DaStonekeeper, TheYellowNinja, StoriesAreMagic, ABCSKW123-IX, Peanut2196, RobinLost, rbrill345, ThisIsMyLife, Fabro de Omres, and Nali Nali Nalina for also taking the time to review! I love all of you! :3**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **RandomDragon: I'm glad you thought the argument was funny! There's no way those two could be together constantly and not end up fighting. :D Your theory is very good, so keep reading to find out if you're right! (Don't worry, all will be explained eventually XD) Kai's apology was SO emotionally satisfying to write, so I'm so happy you thought so too! Thanks so much for reviewing!**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: Stop, you're making my blush! I put a lot of time and effort into trying to keep everyone in character (as that's also one of my biggest pet peeves.) It is a difficult task, so I'm very, _very_ gratified that you think I succeeded! And, yes! I knew if I was going to have Cole possess Jay, I'd have to include at least _one_ argument, because there's no way they wouldn't argue! They just can't help themselves. XD Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

 **TheYellowNinja: Your review was too nice! Page-turning plots _and_ great writing!? It means the world to me that you think so. (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ I really hope you keep liking the story as much as you have been!**

 **rbrill345: Jay and Cole are like an old married couple. Always have to have something to argue about. XD I'm glad you thought it was funny! And, thank you so much for your compliments! They really make my day! Thank you SOOO much!**

 **ThisIsMyLife: Haha! The angst has only just begun. ;) Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Please always ask questions! As the author, everything makes perfect sense to me, so feedback is vital to know what's not making it out of my head and onto the page. I'm glad you liked them switching control! Honestly, I love writing them going back and forth. :D Hugs make the world go round. Jay's memories are only supplementing Cole's memories, so Cole still remembers everything from his point of view, not Jay's. (Yeah, that might have made Rebooted awkward.) Sorry that didn't come across clearly enough! Yeah, Kai loves all his brothers; it just took an ultimatum like trading one for the other to make him realize it! I seem to recall Morro being nervous around water even when he was possessing Lloyd, so yes, while Cole is possessing him, water will hurt Jay (which is a semi-big point in this chapter.) Wu knows everything ;) Haha, I totally didn't even think about the whole "pregnant mothers" thing, but come to think of it, you're right! That's hilarious. XD Cole always has Jay's back! :D Thanks so much for reviewing!**

* * *

 _T_ _hump thump thump. "_ Jay! Cole! Are you guys going to sleep all day? It's noon!" Pause. "Are you alright?"

Jay groaned, rolling over and rubbing the crust out of his eyes. Noon? They slept for over twelve hours? Of course, the others didn't know they'd had a two hour break of wakefulness in the middle of the night filled with barfing and trying to get comfortable enough to fall back asleep.

"Yeah, we're good!" Jay called back to Kai on the other side of the door. "Be out in a minute!"

Although the sigh of relief wasn't audible, Jay knew it was there. "'Kay." Then, footsteps walking away.

Jay groaned again with a considerable amount of whining this time. Why was it so _hot_? He gratefully threw off the blanket that was trying to suffocate him.

 _Jay,_ Cole began, that critical tone already bleeding into his voice. _Why am I seeing that you don't want to tell the others about last night?_

"Because, they might think we're contagious!" Jay replied, eyes still half-shut with sleep.

 _Well, what if we are?_

"It's just some twenty four bug." Jay shrugged. "No point in getting the others all worked up. They're already worried enough."

 _Last night you said it was food poisoning._

"Food poisoning, flu, whatever," he turned toward the door. "I never claimed to be an expert either."

* * *

Despite his bout of nocturnal vomiting, Jay was absolutely starving at lunch and ate at least a Cole sized portion if not more. Master Wu suggested some light training, and all the ninja enthusiastically agreed, excited to be doing what they loved all together again. Even Jay, although a headache had decided to move in with him and Cole.

After stretching and practicing basic moves to get back in the swing of things after such a long break, they split up to spar. Because of their uneven number, Kai and Zane were teamed up against Nya to test her abilities in an unfair match. Lloyd was paired up with Jay (and Cole) and explicitly told that this was a lesson in restraint, since this was the first time the two would be fighting in the same body.

"Yeah, but don't think you can go easy on us!" Cole taunted as he slid to take out Lloyd's legs from under him. He would have missed any way, his trajectory thrown off by the lighter, more nimble body, but Lloyd still flipped over him to land behind him.

Lloyd scoffed, going for a roundhouse kick. Cole stayed in place to block and counter, but Jay, who always tended toward dodging, took over at the last second and rolled out of the way. "You guys couldn't beat me in two bodies, let alone one."

"Well, if _Jay_ would get with the program, we'd be winning right about now," Cole hissed, running and leaping, twisting in midair so both feet were aimed at Lloyd's chest. The Green Ninja smirked and caught his feet though, throwing Cole away from him. Cole used the momentum to land on his feet before Jay stole control once again.

" _Excuse_ me, but it's not _your_ face that's going to be bashed in, now is it?" Jay argued, somersaulting under Lloyd's punch. "Beauty like mine is hard to come by."

And, Cole was _just_ about to take over again, catch Lloyd's second punch heading toward them and flip him over his shoulder, all while laughing "suuure, Jay, just keep telling yourself that," when- _something_ \- happened.

Jay's entire body locked up, and his vision blurred. They both knew Lloyd's punch was coming, but neither Cole nor Jay could command their body. They swayed-

Jay's head snapped back when Lloyd's fist connected with his jaw.

"Jay!" The Green Ninja gasped, causing the others to pause in their sparring and drawing the attention of Master Wu. "I'm sorry! I thought you saw it coming! I thought you would dodge it…,"

"Epic fail in _restraint_ training, Lloyd," Kai smirked.

"Shut up," Lloyd grumbled, sparing a glare at Kai before turning wide, guilty eyes back to the blue ninja who was massaging his jaw.

"It wasn't his fault," Cole said, grimacing when he felt how tender his jawbone was. Yep, that would definitely be a bruise. "I guess we're a little slow today."

"We're _fine_ ," Jay insisted, though his stomach lurched with nausea and his vision tilted dizzily. "Let's keep going."

"I think that's quite enough for you two," Master Wu stepped in, stroking his beard and studying them with that unnerving gaze of his. "Lloyd, please take Jay inside and get him some ice. As for the rest of you, Zane, Nya, gang up on Kai now."

The red ninja's eyes widened, and he only got out, "Wait, wha-" before being tackled.

Lloyd led Jay inside and sat him on the couch amidst much protesting.

"I'm not an _invalid_ , Lloyd." Even as he said so, though, Jay sank deeper into the couch cushions, relishing in finally being off his feet so the world would stop spinning and his head would stop its incessant pounding. When he blinked, he was on his side with his head on the armrest as a pillow, and Lloyd was returning- _when had he left?_ \- with a bag of ice.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Lloyd said, handing over the ice and cocking his head at him.

And, Jay _almost_ let Cole tell their leader about how sick they had been feeling and were _still_ feeling- but when he pressed the ice to his face, he was reminded about a very different time when he'd been hit in the face, when Kai still hated him, and Zane was forcing himself to forgive him, and Cole was gone, _dead_ , _murdered_ -

"We're fine." Jay said, closing his eyes and trying to shut out Cole's complaining in the back of his mind. "Just tired."

"Well… okay…," Lloyd replied, sounding as if he didn't believe them. "Just hold on a little bit longer. We'll find a way to fix you two."

"Alright," Jay nodded, though now he was starting to wish Lloyd would just stop talking so the headache would stop stabbing into his brain.

But, he was never more grateful to the Green Ninja than when he felt the throw blanket they always left over the back of the couch settle on top of him.

"You know… you know you can talk to me, right? About anything."

"Yeah, Lloyd," Jay said- or at least, he thought he said so. He was already drifting off.

 _Jay_ -

Cole tried to speak to him, but they fell into a deep sleep before he could hear the end of the sentence.

* * *

"No."

"Jay, I refuse to share a body with you if you do not shower."

"But, if I do, you'll have to leave."

"It will be okay, Jay," Nya reassured. It was evening, and all the ninja were gathered in Cole's bedroom yet again, waiting to see what would happen when the ghost tried stepping out of Jay's body for the first time since possessing him. "We'll all be right here."

"He'll forget everything again," Jay pointed out, crossing his arms to his chest as if that would lock Cole inside. "He'll be lost. And, what if he has to go back into the 'long sleep?' It might be months-"

"If it seems like he'll disappear, I'll let him possess me," Kai offered, dead-serious as he looked Jay in the eye.

Jay bit his bottom lip.

 _I'll be okay, Jay_. _Who knows? I might even keep all my memories._

 _We both know that's highly unlikely. And, don't act like you're not just as scared as I am._

 _Fine. I'm terrified. But, I'm not going to keep you like a slave in your own body. You should be able to do normal things, like shower._

Jay hesitated a moment longer. Finally, he whispered, "Okay."

There was an immense pain as Cole separated from Jay's body, like there was a fire scorching their insides, and Jay thought surely someone had to die before before they could experience so much _pain_...

The pain stopped, the fire was gone, and Jay opened his eyes, searching-

Cole wasn't there. All he could see was the worried eyes of his four mortal teammates scouring the bedroom frantically for any sign of the ghost.

No.

 _No_.

Then, Jay was hyperventilating and Nya was trying desperately to calm him down but he couldn't stop because now Cole was gone, _gone, gone_ , and it was all his fault, _all his fault_ , _all_ -

A chilly breeze blew through the room.

"I didn't mean to upset him," a quiet voice said.

As one, they turned to see Cole- the actual, visible ghostly body of Cole- curled up under the window with his legs drawn to his chest, eyes squeezed shut and hands pressed to his ears to shut out Jay's panicking.

Jay scrubbed at his face to try and hide the fact that he was crying from relief.

Zane stepped forward slowly. "You didn't upset him," he reassured. "Do you… do you know who you are?"

Cole blinked up at them shamefully. "I'm… I'm…," he shook his head in frustration. "I wasn't forgotten. You're my family. I wasn't forgotten, I wasn't _forgotten_ , so why can't I remember my own _name_?! I-I-"

"It's quite alright, Cole," Zane said soothingly as he kneeled on the floor in front of the ghost.

"Cole?" He blinked. "That's me, isn't it?"

"Yes," the nindroid nodded. "Would you like to play a game?"

Cole twisted his fingers together anxiously. "I don't know how."

"I'll teach you." Scrambling for something to play with before Cole's attention drifted to more upsetting thoughts, he searched under the bed. Past two moldy pizza boxes (he'd have to have a conversation with Cole about those later) he found a dusty Rubik's Cube. Perfect.

"Here," he presented the toy to the ghost who accepted it cautiously. "You twist the rows and columns of squares until each face of the cube is a solid color."

The black ninja gave the cube an experimental twist. "Cole…," he muttered to himself before falling silent, completely engrossed in the game.

"There." Zane said triumphantly, turning back to his family members, who were nothing short of amazed. "Focusing his energies on something simple and physical should help him remain here, for a short time at least."

Jay hesitated.

"We'll keep him busy and calm until you get back, Jay," Lloyd reemphasized, nudging the blue ninja toward the door.

With one last look at Cole, Jay nodded and left the room.

Zane sat beside the silent ghost while the others occupied themselves around the room. As time went on, he observed that Cole was more interested in the movement of the cube and the combination of bright colors rather than actually solving it, but if it kept him entertained…

"Am I bad?"

Zane started at the question. Cole did not tear his gaze away from the toy, but his expression was worried and self-conscious. Zane nodded subtly at the others who had heard to let him know that he could handle it.

"I'm afraid I do not understand the question."

"I know I possessed… the blue one," Cole explained quietly, unable to remember Jay's name, although he appeared to retain some recent memories. "And, that's bad." He met Zane's eyes with his own that were open and filled with the perpetual fear to which this lost spirit was held victim. "Does it make me bad that I want to do it again?"

"Of course not," Zane replied, shaking his head. "Take me for example. I am a nindroid. Does it make me bad that I sometimes wish I was human? That I could age and breathe and bleed like everybody else? No. It makes me _more_ human. It does not make you, a ghost, bad to long for your memories and a family and a body to call your own. It makes you more human as well. The desire to be alive is, in fact, a trait of being alive."

Cole's mouth was parted slightly in wonder, and he turned back to the Rubik's Cube, ruminating upon Zane's nugget of wisdom.

Eventually, he looked back up at the nindroid, "But, you are not taking from anybody else. I am. That is bad."

"But, you are not taking it by force," Zane explained. "Jay has offered his body to you until we can find a way to return your memories. That is what families do for each other."

Cole frowned, and Zane thought he looked for all the world like he was trying to remember something. "But-"

The door slammed open, and Jay appeared wearing clean pajamas. His skin was slightly pink and his hair was tousled as if he had spent several minutes scrubbing himself dry so there would not be a single drop of water on him.

"Okay, I'm ready," he announced.

"Jay," Kai stood up. "I've been thinking, and it's not fair that you should have to be the only one to share your body. I could take a turn having Cole possess me."

But, Jay was already shaking his head. "No, I don't mind. I'm already used to it."

The red ninja seemed unsure. "Jay-"

"Really, Kai. We're good."

Kai blinked. "Well, okay. If you change your mind…,"

The blue ninja nodded to show his appreciation, then held out his hand to Cole, who had come to stand beside him along with Zane. "Ready?"

The ghost glanced uncertainly at the nindroid, who nodded encouragingly.

"Yeah…," Cole said quietly, accepting the hand and stepping into Jay's body. The blue ninja gasped, shutting his eyes and clutching his head. Lloyd placed a steadying arm on his shoulder until he straightened.

"It'll take some time for him to readjust," Jay explained, his voice tight with exertion. "In the meantime, I think I'll just… go to sleep…," He visibly drooped. Lloyd and Kai slung his arms over their shoulders and led him to the bed, where he immediately nested in the blankets and fell asleep.

Nya glanced at the others. "Guys, we need to focus more on finding a better solution. I think this is harder on them than they realize."

"I agree. No matter what Jay says, possession is no walk in the park," Lloyd input. "There has to be a way for Cole to be fixed _and_ independent."

"If only to play devil's advocate, we might need to consider the possibility that there… _isn't_ a way to fix Cole," Zane suggested hesitantly with an apologetic shrug. "Coming into contact with water may have irreversibly damaged him."

"We have to do whatever it takes to keep him here," Kai said steadfastly, glancing worriedly at his sleeping brothers.

"But, at what cost?" Nya argued. "Jay's happiness?"

"Jay seems perfectly happy," Kai pointed out. "He won't even let Cole possess anybody else."

" _Now_ he does," Lloyd countered. "But, what about a month from now? What about a _year_ from now? Would you like to _never_ be alone?"

"I agree with Kai that we can do nothing that might put Cole's consciousness at risk," Zane input. Then, wincing, he added, "All of us may just have to adjust to a new way of life."

Lloyd was already shaking his head. "I refuse to believe that there's nothing we can do for Cole." He sighed. "But, in any case, we can't do anything tonight. Let's all just get some sleep and discuss this more tomorrow."

Nya frowned as she followed the guys out of the room. _Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. Why is it always tomorrow and never_ today _?_

* * *

That night found Jay hunched over the toilet once again, throwing up everything he'd eaten that day.

 _Jay,_ Cole's voice was faint, but the tone was pleading. _Jay, please. Something's_ wrong _with us_.

Jay couldn't speak, only shake his head back and forth weakly as he retched again.

 _It's not food poisoning. It's not flu or some stomach bug. We have to tell them. We need_ help.

Jay scoffed with a barely audible laugh. "You worry too much, Cole. It's just some little sickness that will pass." He took several deep breaths, trying to calm his roiling stomach. "Everything will be fine. Everything's going to be fine…,"

* * *

 **So, do you guys believe Jay that everything's going to be fine?** **(^▽^;)**


	7. Something Really, Really Bad

**Oh my goodness. _Eighty_ reviews?! I never expected this story to get so much love! Thank you all so much for your support!**

 **Special thanks to xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx, ABCSKW123-IX, Ebony umbreon, Loki God of Evil, YinYangBroandSis, TheYellowNinja, RandomDragon, GhostFedora, StoriesAreMagic, SnowNinjaAJ, romagen, Peanut2196, RobinLost, rbrill345, Nali Nali Nalina, Tex1412, Drawkill Vear, and DaStonekeeper for reviewing! You guys make my world go round!**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **YellowNinja: Aw, it makes me soooo happy you're excited for my updates! Yeah, I usually like to update in the morning but things kept getting in the way and I couldn't post until like four, so sorry about that! XD Yep, Jay is certainly not in a good spot, and Cole knows it! Hopefully they do something about it… We'll see! ;D Thank you so so so so much for your kind words! You're too nice!**

 **RandomDragon: Jay, Jay, Jay *shakes head in exasperation* Of course you're being stupidly stubborn about this something as serious as this. Kai wants so badly to help, and he's shutting everybody out, even Cole! I appreciate you trying to convince him, but I'm afraid yours and Cole's warnings are falling on deaf ears. ;D Thanks so much for reviewing!**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: You think Jay would have learned his lesson by now, but ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ Believe me, the problems are only just beginning. ;D It makes me SOOOO happy that this story cheers you up! Homework is such a drag… AND, a recommendation?! You're making me blush! (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ Thank you so much!**

 **rbrill345: Why wouldn't Jay be fine? It's just some little sickness that will pass… ;D We'll see if he gets fixed soon enough! I loved writing the Zane and Cole bonding scene! Though this story revolves around Jay and Cole, it will certainly focus on other relationships as well! (More so in future chapters, so stay tuned!) Thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Haha! That's certainly the reaction I wanted with that chapter title, so I'm glad I succeeded! XD Kai's always ready to help his brothers when he's not too busy punching them in the face. :D And, about the water… Oh. O_O Bad author for not verifying that made up memory you had! We'll just call this "creative license" then. (ノ*゜▽゜*) Denial isn't just a river in Egypt, Jay! OBVIOUSLY, something's wrong. Lloyd is a little suspicious, but also worried in general about Jay since he knows what it's like to be possessed (and was traumatized by it.) The others do notice it's painful but assume it's just part of the whole "possession" package. (It's not… ;D) I am personally not into Undertale, but my sister is a HUGE fan and she has shown me that comic! I know exactly which one you're talking about! That's crazy! You definitely got it! Cole can't remember Jay getting sick when he's outside his body, and that is a very big point in this chapter, so buckle up. ;D Thank you so much for your review!**

* * *

"You want to see it?" Jay asked tauntingly, smirking at his three brothers. Nya had claimed she wasn't interested and stormed off somewhere, but Lloyd, Kai, and Zane nodded eagerly.

After another marathon night of sleeping (with a short reprieve), they had done another drastically shortened training session, and now Jay had gotten it in his head that _this_ was a good idea.

"You _really_ want to see it?"

" _Yes_ , Jay," Kai replied with an exasperated eye roll. "We _really_ want to see it, so show us already!"

Jay smirked and hopped onto the railing of the airborne Destiny's Bounty.

And then jumped off.

A moment later, an elemental dragon rose like none they had ever seen before. Instead of a dark blue creature with lightning crackling through its veins like they were used to Jay summoning, now the ninja was mounted upon an amalgamation of rocks like a golem, seemingly held together only by strands of lightning that sparked throughout it. Its eyes were electric blue, and the wings beat powerfully though they appeared to be made of only the thinnest blanket of pebbles sewn along bright blue wings. Just as Lloyd's dragon had been corrupted by Morro's possession, Jay's dragon was now a hybrid of his and Cole's.

After a sufficient amount of "oohs" and "aahs," Jay released his dragon and landed on his feet on the deck.

"Okay, I have to admit, that was pretty awesome," Kai said upon the blue ninja's return.

"Really? I thought all that rock screwed up the majesty of my lightning." Jay remarked. The others laughed, but really he had only said it to get a rise out of Cole. The black ninja had been downright sulky since last night and hadn't emerged from the passive position in Jay's body all day. He didn't appear now.

But, Jay did feel a sudden rush of vertigo, even though they were back on the ground (relatively). His head spun, his stomach dropped, and he knew he had to get out of there before he ended up vomiting all over his brothers.

"I'm feeling kind of tired now, though," he said, hoping his voice came out level enough and not fully sure he succeeded. "I think I'll go lay down for a bit."

"But, you only got up a few hours ago…," Lloyd pointed out, concern bleeding into his tone- the exact _opposite_ of what Jay wanted. But, he couldn't stand here a moment longer or he really would pass out.

"Talk to Zane about slumber and calorie intake," he threw over his shoulder, already walking away. The others scratched their heads in confusion but didn't follow for which Jay was grateful.

That is, until Nya confronted him in the hallway.

"Cole is not a _magic trick_ , Jay," she chastised, arms crossed in a clear sign of disapproval. "You guys shouldn't be expending your energy on stupid things like showing off. We need to be finding a _solution_."

And, yeah, maybe the dragon had been too much, but could anybody blame Jay for wanting to act like everything was normal, for wanting to joke around with his brothers like he hadn't ever murdered Cole and hadn't caused him to be half of his real self that couldn't live, couldn't _really_ live, even momentarily outside his body because of _what he did_ -

Jay started coughing into his hand.

Nya dropped her displeased expression and took up one of worry. "Jay, are you okay?"

Jay finished his coughing and forced himself to take two deep breaths before replying. "Yeah, Nya, don't worry. We're-"

Blood.

 _Blood._

There was blood on his hand. He was coughing up blood. That was bad, right? Blood- _blood_ \- was bad-

Cole wrenched control away from Jay. "Nya, we-"

Jay stole it back and shut his own mouth.

The water ninja was staring at them in bewilderment now. "Jay? Cole? What's going on?"

"Nothing!" Jay shouted, making sure to keep his hand fisted so she wouldn't see the blood- _blood_ \- there. "Just- gotta go!" He rushed past her into the bathroom, slamming and locking the door.

Nya bit her lip, staring after two of the most important guys in her life, before hurrying to find the others and hopefully convince them that they had a bigger problem than they thought.

In the bathroom, Jay scrubbed frantically at the blood burning his with a towel, as if wiping it away now would erase its existence in the first place.

"Jay, enough!" Cole shouted at the mirror, throwing the towel away in disgust once enough blood was gone to keep it from burning their skin. "This has gone on too long. We have to admit what we've both been thinking."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?" The blue ninja challenged, searching for the towel.

But, Cole turned back toward the mirror, slamming both hands on the counter. "It's _me_ , okay? _I'm_ making you sick."

Jay rolled his eyes. "That's-"

"Stupid? Ridiculous? It's not. It's true." Cole narrowed his eyes at his reflection, as if it really was Jay there in the mirror, looking back at him. "You didn't get sick until I possessed you. It's me, and you _know_ it."

"Fine. It's you." Jay crossed his arms. "There, I said it. It doesn't change anything."

"We have to _tell_ them, Jay!"

"No." The blue ninja shook his head. "What if they make you leave my body?"

"They _should_." Cole ground out. "I'll tell them. I will."

"No, you won't." Jay said calmly. "You can't. You know you're not strong enough to take control of my body unless I _let_ you."

Cole tried to take over then, but like Jay said, he was powerless. _Fine. Keep me trapped in here like a prisoner. I'll just leave on my own. I'll step out of you right now._

"Yeah, well, good luck remembering why you left. All you'll end up doing is repossessing me because you can't remember not to."

Jay felt Cole's shock at his logic, and he felt a little bad for forcing his best friend into such an impossible position; but he wasn't going to back down and Cole knew it.

 _Jay, I am_ begging _you. You can't do this to yourself. You can't make me do this to you. I won't be responsible for your death._

"Yeah, I know what that feels like," he snapped, crossing his arms over his chest like he was cold. "That's why I don't care what happens to me. I'm going to do whatever I have to to save you, Cole."

Jay let Cole have control then, mostly in a gesture of peace, but he wasn't prepared for Cole to yell at the mirror, "But, you're _not_ doing it for me, Jay! You're doing it for you!"

Jay physically recoiled. " _What_?"

"You want me to possess you, because you think of it as a _punishment_ ," Tears pushed at Jay's eyes then, and the blue ninja wondered at how he could have _hurt_ Cole so deeply without even knowing it. "You think letting me live in your body is justice for what you did. I don't want to 'make you pay' for pushing me that day. I never did."

There was silence for a moment before Jay nodded. "I know, Cole. But, that's the thing. You're always trying to protect everyone else. You gave up Nya to save our friendship. You eliminated yourself from the tournament so I wouldn't have to lose my powers. You and Zane escaped, and you still went back for the other elemental masters. You risked your life for the airjitzu scroll and _lost_. You won't even blame me for doing _this_ to you. For once, _please_ , let _me_ be the one to protect _you_."

Cole blinked at their reflection before slowly shaking his head. "No."

Jay took over control and kept it, heading to their bedroom to sleep. "And, that's why I'm not giving you a choice."

* * *

"Any day now, Jay," Kai prompted, tapping his foot impatiently. Jay was going to take a shower again, but the ninja had decided that really only one person was needed to watch Cole and make sure he didn't disappear into the long sleep. That person being the only one he could possess in the event of an emergency (Zane was a nindroid, and they weren't sure how that would work out and weren't keen to test it; Lloyd was eternally exempt because of Morro; and Cole possessing Nya would just be awkward for everyone.)

"I'm working on it!" The blue ninja argued, staring straight ahead of him with an expression of consternation, and Kai imagined he and Cole were mentally speaking to one another.

 _Finally_ , with a gasp and cut off shriek of pain, Cole stepped out of Jay. The two ninja glared at each other for a long time without saying a word, and Kai thought maybe they still had some sort of telepathic connection. Whatever it was, he was completely lost.

Eventually, Jay, satisfied with whatever he saw, turned and swept out of the room, shutting the door behind him with more force than necessary if not quite slamming it. But, Cole stayed frozen, glaring at the door with clenched fists.

"Cole?" Kai asked, touching his shoulder gingerly and very grateful his hand didn't phase right through him. "You okay, bro?"

Cole shut his eyes. Ghosts couldn't cry, but Cole seemed to be as close to it as he could get, and Kai's protective instincts were immediately on full alert.

"I was supposed to tell you something," Cole stated, trembling with anger, frustration, and- and _misery_. "But, I can't remember what it is."

"Don't get all worked up. I'll try to help you remember," Kai said, wrapping an arm around his brother's shoulders. Why couldn't it have been Nya or- well, _anybody_ else for that matter comforting Cole? This was certainly not Kai's area of expertise. "You want to sit? Let's sit."

Cole allowed himself to be led to the bed, and the two sat side by side on the edge of the mattress.

"Okay, do you have any idea what it was about?" Kai began uncertainly, his arm still around Cole's shoulders. "Any clue at all?"

"It was something bad, something _really, really_ bad," Cole explained, shuddering with dry sobs, and Kai squeezed him tighter. "Why can't I remember? I need to _remember_ -"

"Alright, alright, stay calm. We'll figure this out," Kai reassured, though it felt hollow in his mouth. Considering how jumpy and fearful this spirit that was his brother's shadow usually was, Kai wouldn't have been surprised if this " _really, really_ bad" thing turned out to be nothing, but he had to make Cole feel better any way he could. "Can I ask Jay when he gets back? Jay would know, right?"

Cole shook his head. "He won't tell you."

Okay, that was... suspicious. "Why not?"

Cole thought hard for a moment but ultimately shrugged and whispered, "I don't know."

They sat in silence- until Kai brightened with an idea. "I know! If you possessed me, I would know whatever you know, so-"

"No!" Cole yelled, catapulting himself away from Kai and hiding in the corner of the room. He shut his eyes and covered his ears and shook his head frantically back and forth. "No, no, no, no! I won't possess you, I _won't,_ you can't _make_ me, I _won't_ , I _won't_ -"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Kai scrambled to make up for whatever he did and calm Cole down before books started flying off the shelves and the lightbulb exploded. Crawling forward on all fours, he shook Cole's shoulder. "Cole, I'm sorry! I would never make you do anything you didn't want to do!"

The ghost uncovered his ears and stared at Kai distrustfully.

"It's okay," Kai held up both hands to prove it. "But, can I ask you why that freaks you out so much? You always possess Jay, so what's the problem with possessing me?"

Cole's face scrunched up with tears that were impossible to shed. "I don't know."

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Kai said, waving his hands like he was willing away Cole's distress. "I'm not mad or anything. Promise. I just…," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. He wasn't used to feeling so… _useless_. "I just want to help you, Cole. It's hard to see you like this."

Cole scrutinized Kai. Then, he moved to lean against him. In response, Kai put his arm around his shoulders once again.

Okay, so Kai supposed he wasn't _horrible_ at the whole comforting thing…

That is, until Jay burst back into the room, startling both of them.

"Okay, ready, Cole," he said, holding his hand out.

Kai felt Cole shrink against him.

"Jay," the red ninja began, giving the addressee an appraising look. "Cole said there's something bad that you don't want to tell me. Is that true?"

"No." Jay said a little too quickly then swallowed. "Cole? You coming or what?"

Cole folded in on himself even more, and Kai was afraid he'd phase right through the wall. "I don't want to."

"We don't have time for this!" Jay exclaimed, clearly unnerved. "You don't want to go back into the long sleep, do you?"

Cole thought about it. "No…,"

"Then you have to possess me."

Kai stepped in, "Jay, if he doesn't want to-"

He turned his glare on Kai. "You'd rather he disappear for months? And have no memory of who he is? And the only way we know he's there is if he _breaks_ something?"

"You know I don't," Kai argued, aiming a glare of his own at the blue ninja. "But, what is it that you're not telling us?"

"I don't have any idea what Cole's talking about!"

"Liar," the ghost whispered, but even as Kai watched, his image flickered. Jay was right about one thing: they didn't have much time.

"Cole, I know you're scared," Kai said softly, his tone much gentler than when he was talking to Jay. "But, you need to possess someone so you don't disappear again. If you won't possess me, then you have to possess Jay."

Cole looked back at him as Jay fidgeted nervously.

Kai grabbed both his shoulders. "I'll figure out what the _really, really_ bad thing is. I promise."

The black ninja nodded at that, and only then did he approach Jay and possess him once again.

Kai came to stand beside him as Jay took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "That's better…," he mumbled before staggering. Kai was just able to catch him.

Basically holding his brother upright, he demanded, "Jay. What is it? What is Cole so afraid of?"

Jay stared blearily up at Kai but eventually had to drop his gaze. "Don't know."

Kai shook him a little more roughly than he probably meant to, but he couldn't help it. They were freaking him out. "Jay, that's a lie. You have to know. What-"

Jay's head slumped forward like a puppet with its strings cut. Fainted.

Kai peered at the pale face. _What are you hiding, Jay…?_

Then, noticing the heat emanating from the body clutched against his own, he touched the back of his hand to Jay's forehead. A fever?

He quickly deposited Jay's body on the bed before leaving to admit for the trillionth time in his life that Nya was right. They had a bigger problem than they thought.

* * *

Jay shivered as he laid on the bathroom floor, too weak to get up. The vomit this time had been a foamy pink. Tinted with blood.

"C'mon, Cole," he begged, wrapping his arms around himself. "Talk to me."

Cole knew the one thing Jay couldn't stand was silence. Jay was aware of what Cole was trying to do- but that was the thing. It was _working_.

"Please, Cole," he whimpered, coughing. Blood appeared on the tile, but Jay only stared at it in disinterest. "Say something. Crack a joke about how pathetic I am. Tell me about the next recipe you want to try. Say _something_ …,"

Cole was silent.

* * *

The next morning- afternoon- Jay was impressed he even managed to roll out of his bed. His body felt like an oven, and even though he'd fallen into a death-like sleep after cleaning up what he could of the bathroom, he was exhausted.

Dressing himself slowly, he hesitantly reached out to Cole again- but the ghost would have nothing to do with him.

"I'm doing this for you, Cole," Jay said aloud. "The least you could do is _talk_ to me."

The silent treatment persisted. Jay was privy to his feelings- anger, despair, depression, fear- and he only hoped that Cole could similarly feel the love Jay was pushing back at him.

Jay stumbled into the kitchen- had the hallway gotten longer? Or had his legs gotten shorter?- to find the other four ninja apparently in a heated debate, though they were speaking in whispers so he couldn't make out what they were saying.

He got a pretty good idea of what the topic of conversation was when they all stopped speaking abruptly and smiled awkwardly at him in the doorway.

"Jay!" Nya stood up out of her chair and came to hover beside him. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," he replied. He glanced at the food-laden table and almost threw up again. He was starving, but the thought of food coming anywhere near his aching stomach was more sickening than anything else he could possibly imagine.

"No, you're not," Kai challenged. His chair legs scraped against the floorboards as he stood up. "There's something bad going on, something you don't want to tell us about."

Did Kai always have to be so _loud_? There was a jackhammer going off somewhere in his head, and the earth needed to stop spinning…

"Jay, this is a very delicate situation," Zane explained gently. "You are putting both yourself and Cole at risk by keeping secrets."

The voices were blending together into one irritating, very loud buzz in his ears, and his stomach lurched. He had to- He had to-

"I gotta go lie down," Jay mumbled, turning to leave.

Lloyd grabbed his shoulder and whipped him back around to face the group. "That excuse isn't going to work this-"

Jay doubled over and vomited on Lloyd's shoes.

The others shouted in surprise, and Jay was going to take the opportunity to escape- then suddenly he was falling, falling…

It didn't hurt when he hit the ground. He half-opened his eyes to see smears of bright colors passing in and out of his vision. Someone was holding him but he couldn't tell who and quietly, as if coming from a very great distance, he heard,

 _I'm sorry, Jay. I'm so so sorry_ …

* * *

 **I was originally going to end this chapter before Jay collapsed... but then I thought why not make it five hundred words longer and end it on a cliffhanger? :D**


	8. I Don't Want to Go Back

**I cannot fully express my gratitude for everyone one of you that has read and taken the time to review! Thank you all so much!**

 **Special thanks to: rbrill345, musicalsaregood, Drawkill Vear, Tex1412, romagen, xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx, DaStonekeeper, Ebony umbreon, YinYangBroandSis, Peanut2196, RandomDragon, Nali Nali Nalina, SnowNinjaAJ, TheYellowNinja, StoriesAreMagic, RobinLost, and TheEvil4ssHole for reviewing!**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **rbrill345: Haha! I'm glad you are so emotionally invested! This will be mentioned later in the chapter, but mostly Cole doesn't want to make anyone else sick. He'd rather go back into the long sleep than hurt one of his family members. (;﹏;) We'll see this chapter what the ninja decide to do about it, so stay tuned! ;D**

 **RandomDragon: Haha, I loved all your "randoms" XD Jay can never take good advice, can he? Kai's always trying to be there for his brothers, but honestly, all of them are kind of at a loss. :/ Cole could certainly take control easier and try to possess someone else… but if his reaction to Kai suggesting he possess him is any indication, he won't. We'll see how they decide to go about it this chapter! I love that you're excited for my story! It only gets crazier from here ;D Thanks for your review!**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: I'm sorry! The emotional hurt to our babies is necessary XD I'm glad you're okay with the inaccuracy. (I know some people are very picky about that -_-;) The conversation was very fun to write because it was sooo emotionally charged. You summed up the dilemma perfectly! You don't know how happy it makes me to know you like the problem and think that it's realistically hard to solve! Cole is my favorite character because to me, he seems the most selfless (except for maybe Zane) and tries to do whatever he can to help others (the episode where he eliminated himself from the tournament to save Jay KILLED me... ) Yes, they were basically having an argument in their head in front of Kai. :D I imagine the score of Nya being right to Kai being right is like 1,000,000,000,000 to .5. Their insides could very possibly be melting- we'll find out what's happening to them soon enough! Jay's left Cole in an impossible situation, so Cole has to use the only weapon he has left, which is silence, even though it hurts him to watch Jay suffer and not be able to comfort him. (;﹏;) Jay is in a very, very bad spot.** **And, I am SO SO SO happy you caught the fact that Cole says the same thing Jay said at the end of chapter one! I didn't think anyone would notice, so I'm over the moon right now! ( ˃̣̣̥ω˂̣̣̥ )( ˃̣̣̥ω˂̣̣̥ )( ˃̣̣̥ω˂̣̣̥ ) Mirrored guilt :'( Thank you so much!**

 **SnowNinjaAJ:** **I LOVE replying to reviews! I like to personally respond to every single review to let you guys know I appreciate you, and because I like to open up a dialogue about the story! :D A shoutout is the least I can do to repay you for your wonderful reviews. ( ˃̣̣̥ω˂̣̣̥ ) It also means the world to me that you're excited for the update! Haha, please continue bugging her about it! XD We'll see if they can get Cole to possess anybody else, but from the way he reacted when Kai brought it up, it will certainly be a challenge XD And, YES YES YES YES YES, do you KNOW how BADLY I want to see fan art for this story!? If you do, please feel free to post it anywhere you like as long you tell me where! I've already promised another reviewer I would use their in-progress fan art for the cover, but would you mind if I used yours for my profile picture? I want to show my UNDYING appreciation for any fan art that comes my way in the best way I can, so please let me know what makes you happiest :D Thank you SO much!**

 **TheYellowNinja:** **The plot gets thicker from here, I promise you that! I really hope you do like where I decide to take the story! As I stated above, I LOVE responding to reviews so that I can express my gratitude for you taking the time to leave a review in the first place and so I can talk to you guys about the story! As always, you are too kind! (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ Thank you so much!**

* * *

Kai was there first, flipping Jay onto his back and half pulling him into lap. He wasn't moving. _He wasn't moving_.

"Zane, go get Master Wu!" He heard Lloyd order, but all he could see was the deathly pale face of his brother- _brothers_ \- with a line of blood stretching from the corner of his lip down to his chin. He wasn't moving.

Nya was suddenly across from him, touching Jay's face, taking his temperature, testing his heartbeat and his breathing. "He's burning up!" She announced, worry stretching her voice thin.

"Is he breathing?" Lloyd asked breathlessly, hovering over her as if he was desperate to help but with no idea how.

Kai held Jay tighter. _Was he breathing_?

"Yes, but it's shallow." Her voice caught.

Zane, Master Wu, and Misako rushed into the kitchen then. Master Wu took Nya's place on the other side of Jay, while Zane started… brewing tea?

Master Wu touched Jay's neck and wrist as if checking for a pulse, then pressed on different areas of his chest. The air was silent and tense.

Finally, Kai couldn't bite his tongue any longer. "Are they-" He was so eager to start the sentence, and yet he couldn't finish it.

Master Wu placed a hand fondly on Jay's forehead before sighing. "Jay will live. For now. Take him to his room."

But, Kai couldn't move. "That's _it_? But… But what do we _do_? How do we _fix_ him?"

"The tea is of a special healing brew. It will combat his symptoms… for a short while at least," Master Wu stood. "I feared it would come to this. We were foolish to hope that we could sit idly by. Cole is not whole, and I never should have let Jay shoulder that burden."

"So, you know what's wrong with them?" Nya asked hopefully.

"No. But it must have occurred as a result of Cole's possession. There is no other explanation," he stroked his beard.

"I didn't get sick when Morro possessed me. I mean, sure, I was a little weak and tired, but not…," Lloyd trailed off, biting his lip as he looked down at the limp body of Jay that appeared very fragile and small in Kai's lap.

"As we all know, Cole is a unique type of ghost, more so after coming into contact with water," Master Wu sighed again. "Today, I will leave to visit some old friends who may be able to shed some light on the situation and provide us a solution for Cole's dilemma."

"I'll go with you," Misako offered, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Some of my old museum colleagues may know a thing or two about possession. Perhaps they could help."

Wu considered this, then nodded. "Very well. We will leave within the hour. The four of you must care for Jay and Cole until we return."

Lloyd nodded solemnly. "We will."

Kai gathered Jay in his arms then, standing with him and carrying him back toward Cole's bedroom while the others discussed the details. He didn't care about details. He wanted results. He wanted this to be over. He wanted both his brothers back, _at the same time_ , as whole and alive as they'd always been. Why did everything have to be so _hard_ for them…?

Kai placed Jay in the bed and, grabbing a nearby tissue, cleaned the blood off his chin.

He sighed, studying the pale face drawn with pain. "I'm sorry, guys." He wiped at his eyes. "You tried to tell me, Cole. You tried to tell me, and I wasn't there for you…,"

"None of us were," Kai jumped at Nya's voice suddenly behind him. She joined him, wrapping an arm around his waist, and in turn he placed his arm around her shoulders. "But, we're here now. We'll fix this, big brother."

"Yeah," Kai nodded. "We will. We _have_ to."

* * *

The next several days passed in a haze for Jay. Whenever he was even remotely conscious, someone was there forcing tea down his throat. The tea helped, but only a little bit. He spent most of his time in gut-wrenching pain, coughing up blood, vomiting, the works.

 _I hope Nya doesn't see me like this_ …

Then he laughed because it seemed weird that he was even worried about that in the first place.

"Jay? Cole?"

Jay opened his eyes. It was nighttime. Hadn't it just been morning? And, where was Cole anyway? Oh, right, he was here. Everything was okay as long as Cole was still here.

"Jay, why didn't you just _tell_ us?" Lloyd asked, pressing a luke-warm ice pack to his face. Because no water. Because Cole. Where was Cole anyway? Oh, right…,

Wait, what was the question again?

"Cole…," he groaned, turning onto his side, away from Lloyd. "Couldn't lose Cole. I won't let you guys take him away."

"Jay, you know we would never do anything to put Cole at risk," Lloyd said, gently turning Jay onto his back and pulling the blanket back up to his chin. Jay whined because he was hot, but Lloyd ignored him. "But, if it's _killing_ you…,"

"No!" Jay grabbed Lloyd's shirt. "I'm the one who killed _him_ , remember? I owe this to him, at least."

"You really think that's what he wants?"

Jay laughed. He didn't know why. It wasn't very funny. Cole didn't think it was funny. But, he laughed.

"I know it's not. But, I can't lose him."

Jay shut his eyes, turning onto his side again. Realizing he was fighting a losing battle, Lloyd sighed and pressed the ice pack to the back of Jay's neck instead. The blue ninja shivered, but he had to admit it felt good.

Just before he fell back asleep, a thought occurred to Jay, and he laughed again without meaning to. It wasn't funny, wasn't funny at all, and Cole's depression was like a crushing weight on his insides, but he laughed.

"I'm going into the long sleep..."

* * *

One night- he lost track of how many days had passed- four? Five? The fever had gotten worse and made it hard to think- but on one night, whichever night it may have been, Jay was wrenched out of his sleep by an immense pain, sharper than all of the other constant pain, in his head, stomach, entire being.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Nya to his left, slumped over in her chair, asleep. There were dark circles under her eyes, but she was still the most beautiful woman in the world, and Jay felt guilty- for a lot of things lately- but also for putting her, all of them, through this.

To his right was Cole, the ghost Cole, curled up on the bed like a sleeping dog. Jay sighed. It was the third time Cole had tried leaving his body.

"Cole," he whispered, not wanting to wake Nya. "What are you doing, bro?"

"I don't want to go back," he whimpered, covering his head as if trying to protect himself from falling debris. "Don't make me go back."

Jay rubbed his back like he really was a dog. They'd already been through this whole song and dance more than once. "Go back where?"

"Into the long sleep. Into you. Both. I don't know."

"You know it's okay to possess me. You know that."

"But, you're sick."

"That's not your fault."

And, it wasn't. Even though Cole's possession was what caused him to fall ill, it wasn't the ghost's fault. That honor belonged entirely to Jay.

Cole dry-sobbed, and Jay glanced anxiously at Nya. She didn't stir. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for. Now possess me before you disappear again."

Cole stubbornly shook his head against the mattress. "I don't want to go back. Don't make me go back." He took a shuddering breath. "I want to go back to before. When I remembered. When I knew my own name. When I was _alive._ "

Jay swallowed. He'd never heard that part before.

"Your name is Cole," he asserted, tugging on his brother's shoulder. "C'mon, bro, look at me."

Cole unfolded so they were laying side by side in the bed, looking at each other. Cole's eyes were so lost and sad, and Jay wished he could rid his brother's face of that expression for the rest of his life. Actually, Jay wished he had never pushed Cole that day, but nothing ever happened when he wished for that so he learned to stop trying.

"Your name is Cole, and this is not your fault." Jay squeezed his arm. "Possess me."

Cole did. And every time he mentally yelled at Jay for taking advantage of his amnesiac ghost self. And every time he swore that next time he'd leave Jay's body and never return.

He never did.

* * *

For the others, those days passed in a flurry of activity. They were brewing tea and watching Jay and getting ice and checking for mail and looking through _every single_ scroll on board for any _hint_ of what they could do to save both brothers…

Five days passed with no word from Master Wu.

Five days passed, and Jay only got worse.

Five days passed, and Cole never spoke to them for the shame.

Five days passed, and they weren't any closer to a solution.

"I thought I could take a turn having Cole possess me, you know, so Jay could have time to get better," Kai said to Zane on the fifth day. They both were "off"- Lloyd was watching Jay and Nya was making tea, so the other two ninja sat uselessly surrounded by scrolls and books they'd already searched a hundred times before. None of them could tell them why Cole's possession was killing Jay, let alone how to fix it. "But, the one time I brought it up, he freaked out. I think he's scared of doing the same thing to me."

"I do not think Jay would let you anyway," Zane added, flipping a page. "He seems to think dying as a result of possession will absolve him of all the guilt of pushing Cole into the water in the first place."

"But, what else do we do?" Kai threw his hands in the air, exasperated. "Cole can't survive without a host. After this whole thing, he could go into the 'long sleep' for _years_! Master Wu obviously has no clue. We're stumbling around in the dark!"

"No clue…," Zane repeated before rifling through their stack of papers, obviously searching for something specific.

Kai raised an eyebrow, drawing a blank. "Yeah, no clue. As in, we're totally lost."

"Yes, you are correct," Zane nodded, grinning when he found what he was looking for and scanning it quickly. "We do not have a clue. The conclusion of all of our efforts is that we do not have enough information to proceed." He held out the scroll to Kai. The red ninja accepted it, but only raised an eyebrow once he realized what it was. "So, what if we spoke to someone who did?"

A long moment passed, and then realization dawned on Kai's face. "This… is a horrible idea," he sighed. "But, it's the only one we got."

* * *

"No. Way."

"Lloyd-"

"On _what_ planet is _this_ a good idea?!"

Nya had reacted in much the same way Kai had when Zane shared his idea. Lloyd was proving harder to convince.

"But-"

"No. We wait for Master Wu to get back. That's what he told us to do." Lloyd stated, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"We are out of time!" Nya argued, glancing nervously at the shut door over her shoulder. "If we wait any longer, it will be too late. We have to at least try."

"Lloyd." Kai grabbed his shoulders. "You know I wouldn't even consider this if it was anybody else. But, it's _Jay_ and _Cole_ we're talking about. If we don't do something, they will _die_."

"They would do the same for us," Zane said.

Lloyd pressed his mouth into a line, and they knew they had him.

"Fine." He shook his head. "This is the worst idea I've ever heard, and we're going to get ourselves killed, but we don't have any other choice. We do it tonight."

* * *

They were careful in preparing the Summoning Spell, even more careful than when they had summoned Cole. They did it in the black ninja's room once again. Once they had informed Jay and Cole of the plan, they had predictably protested. Realizing there was nothing they could do to stop it, though, they had then insisted on being a part of it, and so the ritual was to be performed in their bed-ridden presence.

Despite all of their precautions, it was harder to be exact. They could only guess at what things "embodied his earthly essence." They were pretty sure they knew the number of years he was alive, but then again, they couldn't be certain.

Lloyd readjusted his grip on the scroll. "Are you guys sure about this?"

He looked at each of them in turn. They all nodded grimly.

He began reciting the spell.

Almost immediately, ice cold wind without an origin swept through the cabin, howling and moaning and nearly blowing them off their feet. Thunder crashed around them, as if giants were striking the hull of the Destiny's Bounty and tearing it apart board by board. The candles went out all at once as Lloyd finished. There was no moon, so the room was plunged into darkness. Jay cried out weakly.

When the candles sparked back to life, Morro was standing inside the chalk circle, smirking directly at Lloyd.

"What, miss me already?"

* * *

 **Uh oh! You know it's bad if the ninja are turning to Morro for help. XD**

 **Sidenote: I am virtually finished writing "Lost Soul," sooo I will need something else to write soon enough! Ever since I wrote my "Nightmare" oneshots, I've had the idea of making it into a sort of series, as in "Five Times _ Did _" but focus each story on a different ninja! (And, include Nya this time XD)**

 **For those of you who don't know, this is a format in which each chapter of the story is a separate oneshot focusing on the relationship between the title ninja and one of the others, and then the last chapter is about the title ninja and all of the other ninja, all connected by the thread of a central theme. For example, in "Four Times Cole Helped the Guys With a Nightmare," each chapter was about Cole helping one of the guys after they woke up from a nightmare, and the last chapter was about all of them helping Cole after he had a nightmare.**

 **SO, I would really appreciate recommendations! If you have a suggestion, leave a review telling me what ninja you would like to be featured and/or what you want the theme of the oneshots to be! It can be as silly or angsty or as broad or specific as you want! My goal is to make you guys happy, so leave feedback if you like, but no pressure. :D**

 **Lastly, even though Cole is my favorite, I'd really like to write one story focused on each ninja before repeating any, so please suggest any ninja as the title ninja besides Cole. :D**


	9. Sucks to Be You

**I never imagined that I would get over a hundred reviews! Thank you all so much for all the love!**

 **I have begun work on the next "Five Times...," featuring Kai! I *hope* to post the first chapter Monday with updates on Mondays and Thursdays, but we'll see!**

 **Special thanks to YinYangBroandSis, rbrill345, TheEvil4ssHole, StoriesAreMagic, Ebony umbreon, xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx, TheYellowNinja, RandomDragon, Echo15, SnowNinjaAJ, Peanut 2196, OblivionTheScythe, and Nali Nali Nalina for reviewing! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **rbrill345: I love Morro too! Definitely one of my favorite antagonists! ;D Hopefully he can prevent Jay from dying and Cole from going into the long sleep, but you never know… ;D It makes SO SO SO happy to know you look forward to the updates! Thank you so much for the kind words! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: Morro is finally here! Hopefully he can help (at the emotional expense of Lloyd (;﹏;)(;﹏;)(;﹏;)) I love your recommendation about Zane and may end up using it ;D Thank you so much for your recommendation AND your lovely review!**

 **RandomDragon: Morro… will definitely not get along with ninja as well as we'd like. -_-; Kai is certainly too impulsive for his own good, so hopefully Nya and the others can hold him back. :D I feel like out of all the ninja, Kai wears his heart on his sleeve, so he is definitely the most visibly stressed (though this is hard on everyone (;﹏;)) Cole is helpless, and it's tearing him apart. (;﹏;) Aw, I LOVE your story ideas :3 I will definitely take those into account, and please let me know when you have more ideas ;D Thank you so much!**

 **Echo15: Aw, thank you so much! I love Jay and Cole's friendship in the show, so I really wanted to write a story centered around that! You don't know how happy it makes me to know you're having so many feelings about the story XD Morro is certainly a "mixed feelings" kind of guy :D I'm glad you like the "Five Times…" idea! I will begin work on those and hopefully post soon! Don't stress about school! You're so close to winter break! Thank you SO much for the kind words! :D**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: "Awe-inspiring?!" Stop! (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ You don't know how much your compliments mean to me! I must say this chapter was one of my favorite to write XD (Morro is such a fun character XD) Jay is so blinded by his guilt and fear of Cole disappearing, that he's killing himself (;﹏;) And meanwhile Cole is being torn apart by his own guilt- it's just an all around bad situation. (;﹏;) Morro will actually not need a host, and this chapter will finally explain why Cole does! Morro and Lloyd will definitely not get along, so stay tuned ;D I love your suggestion about Lloyd and will definitely take it into consideration! I CAN'T WAIT to see the drawing! (I don't think you understand how excited I am to see it ( ˃̣̣̥ω˂̣̣̥ )) Thank you so much!**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Aw, it makes me so happy you reread the chapters! :3 Yeah, Master Wu could have gone for help sooner, but keep in mind that he didn't know Jay was at the crisis point yet, because of Jay's guilt-ridden, suicidal tendencies. Jay has so many regrets and goes about fixing them all the wrong way!** **(;﹏;) The ninja know Morro handed over the Realm Crystal, but still do not trust him whatsoever, as we will see this chapter! They summoned, because he's the only they knew enough about to summon and because with Morro being such a powerful and knowledgeable ghost, that he would know what to do to help, which will be addressed this chapter. We'll see if that's the case! ;D I LOVE LOVE LOVE your suggestions about Lloyd and Zane and will DEFINITELY take that into consideration! Thank you so much for your recommendations and lovely review! :D**

* * *

"Don't even _think_ of trying anything, Morro," Lloyd growled at the smarmy ghost. He and the other three ninja were all in fighting stances, glaring at their hated and most recent enemy. "You can't escape that chalk circle on the ground, but if you make _one move_ to try to fight us or escape, Nya will blast you back to the Realm of the Departed before you can even _blink_."

Water started bubbling in Nya's palms to prove it.

Morro only raised an eyebrow as he studied the circle surrounding him, then smirked at each of them as if they were the most entertaining show on the planet. Just as Lloyd was going to order Nya to go ahead and blast him if only to wipe that smirk off his face, Morro shrugged.

"Thanks but no thanks. I'm not really interested in the whole 'taking over the world' thing anymore. Too cliché." He explained, voice dripping with insouciance. "So, you can stand down."

All of them blinked and turned helplessly to Lloyd. Without taking his eyes off Morro, he gestured for everyone but Nya to relax. The water ninja kept her hands at the ready, eyes smoldering with resolve.

"Oh, 'not interested,' huh?" Lloyd placed his hands on his hips, raising a critical eyebrow at the ghost. "And, why's that?"

Morro crossed his arms, "Let's just say I found what I was looking for in the Realm of the Departed."

"A green ninja gi? A new Preeminent?" Kai guessed mockingly. "An army of mindless followers?"

" _No_." Morro snapped, glaring. It was at least gratifying to know they'd finally gotten under his skin.

"Peace."

Kai shut his mouth with a click.

The ghost shifted his weight, almost like he was- well, _embarrassed_ \- and a more familiar, irritable expression took up residence on his face. "Look, _you_ summoned _me_. And, if it's so bad you had to call _me_ , I imagine it's time sensitive. So, what do you want?"

"Morro," Zane stepped closer, though he left a radius of empty space around the circle. "We were hoping you could provide us with information. Cole- you remember Cole, right? The ghost? - fell into a pool of water. He eventually returned, but he was extremely weak and had lost all of his memories. Jay had Cole possess him a little over a week ago, and now…," the nindroid gestured at the figure on the bed, who was lying very still.

Morro leaned around Lloyd so he could see Jay blinking sleepily back at him. "Okay, first of all, what makes you think I can help? And, second of all, why do I care what happens to your friends that I had honestly forgotten the names of?"

Zane continued, knowing he was the most level-headed when it came to dealing with the vexatious ghost, "You can help, because we know you are one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, ghost in the Departed Realm. If anyone knows what happened to Cole, you do, or you at least know someone who does. As to why you care…," The nindroid took a deep breath before continuing. "You said you had found peace. Perhaps you would also like to find redemption?"

Morro appraised Zane for a long time, his expression unreadable, before rolling his eyes. "I guess I could take a look at him. Bring him over here."

"What?! No!" Kai shouted, rushing to stand between Morro and Jay protectively. "You'll try to possess him or do some freaky ghost thing to him!"

Morro yawned. "Look, it really doesn't make a difference to me whether he lives or dies, so if you don't want my help, I'd like to get back home now. If you _do_ want my help, I have to be able to examine my patient."

Lloyd joined Kai by the bed and whispered, "I don't like it any more than you do- I like it even _less_ than you do- but this is what we signed up for when we decided to go through with the worst idea on the planet."

Gritting his teeth, Kai nodded, and together he and Lloyd hoisted up Jay between them and helped him over to the circle.

But Morro shook his head. "Not him. The other one. Cole." Suddenly, the ghost laughed. It was a truly terrifying sound. "Wait, his name's Cole? And, he's the earth one, right? That's hilarious!"

"Shut up," Jay mumbled weakly, leaning heavily on Kai. "I'm supposed to let Cole near this guy?"

"Just for a minute, Jay," Kai reassured. "It might be our only chance to save him."

The blue ninja closed his eyes. He gasped with pain, and a moment later, Cole appeared in front of Jay, leaning away from Morro with a terrified look in his eye.

"What?" Morro smiled, reminding everyone a little too much of a shark that just spotted an unsuspecting school of fish. "I don't bite."

"You're bad," Cole stated simply.

"Yeah, well, someone has to be."

"It will be alright, Cole," Zane nudged the ghost forward gently. "Morro knows what the consequences will be if he tries anything."

Cole glanced at all of his teammates uncertainly. When his eyes landed on Jay, pale, sweating, feeble Jay, he seemed to be filled with resolve. He stepped confidently into the chalk circle- right into the lion's den.

"Hm…," Morro hummed, grabbing Cole's chin roughly. The others tensed, but all he did was turn Cole's face this way and that. Then, he stuck a hand _through_ Cole's stomach. They gasped with horror, but the ghost in question only looked down at the arm with a puzzled, not pained, look on his face.

Finally, Morro released Cole- and laughed cruelly. "Sucks to be you."

"So, you know what's wrong with him?" Lloyd asked eagerly, then cursed under his breath for sounding so eager in the presence of his mortal enemy.

"Of course I know what's wrong with him."

All six ninja gaped at each other, then grinned with pure, unadulterated joy. Even Jay in his weakened state brightened with hope.

"Okay, what is it? What do we do to fix it? Where should we go? Who should we contact?" Zane asked, rapid-fire style. "Wait, let me get a pen…,"

"Not so fast, Shiny," Morro interrupted, slinging a friendly arm around Cole's neck for the sole purpose of irritating them. The black ninja grimaced but didn't pull away. "Information like that is going to cost you."

"I _knew_ it!" Kai exclaimed, pointing at Morro accusingly. "You're a real piece of work, you know that?"

"Well, now you're just flattering me," Morro bat his eyelashes, and Kai recoiled in disgust. "Nothing's free in the Departed Realm. Just ask Ronin." He chuckled darkly.

"What do you want?" Nya asked, speaking up for the first time though she did not lower her hands, just as she had not lowered them the whole time they'd been speaking. Her tone was ice cold.

Morro whipped Cole around so he was in Nya's line of fire- er, water. She immediately dropped her hands.

"What do I want?" He tapped his chin with the hand not locked around Cole's shoulders. Cole looked at the others beseechingly. They trembled with barely contained rage but didn't make to rush Morro. Yet. "I… decline to answer at this time."

Kai sputtered. "But… How can we trade you something if we don't know what you want?! How do we know we'll even be able to get it for you?!"

Morro stared unflinchingly back at him. "You have it. I want it. Those are the terms. Take it or leave it."

The five of them huddled.

"I'm not buying this new hippie Morro," Kai announced, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. "He'll probably want to possess Lloyd again. Or he'll want the Realm Crystal. Or to make us his minions. Something like that."

"But, what choice do we have?" Lloyd asked. "Look, we agree to his terms, and, if it turns out to be something that's totally not going to happen, we just don't give it to him."

"But, what if that is part of the trap?" Zane pointed out. "Morro knows we are severely lacking in knowledge of ghost laws. What if, by not upholding our end of the bargain, we somehow set him free? Or, he then owns our souls? There are a number of possibilities."

"We'll deal with the consequences when the time comes," Nya decided. "But, Cole needs help _now_. Nothing else matters."

Jay nodded. "Nothing else matters."

"Tick tock," Morro sang from his circle. "I'll have to return to the Realm of the Departed soon, and I'll take all my information with me…," the ninja continued arguing, but increased the pace of said argument. Morro shook his head regretfully, patting Cole's chest sympathetically. "Friends. They tell you they love you, but when it comes down to the wire, they won't put up. That's why I don't have any."

Kai glared over his shoulder. "Yeah, _that's_ why."

Morro made a face.

Cole cocked his head. "You don't have any?"

The other ghost grinned. "You could learn a thing or two from me, kid. People are tools; friends are handicaps. I've never needed anybody, and I turned out just fine."

"Stop being a bad influence!" Jay shouted. "And, your definition of 'fine' is very messed up!"

"Aren't you guys supposed to be huddling? Not eavesdropping?" Morro snapped.

"Also, I'm pretty sure you're younger than us, so it's weird to call him 'kid.'"

"Well technically, I'm like forty, so there."

Cole appeared unperturbed by the interruptions. "So, you weren't forgotten?"

"Cursed, hated, feared," Morro listed off on his fingers. "But, no, never forgotten."

Cole stared at him with that eerie gaze of his. "That's so sad," he shook his head mournfully. "You remember, but you're lost just like me."

Morro blinked.

"Fine, Morro," Lloyd said, huffing in exasperation. As one, they all turned to face him once again. "We agree to your terms."

Morro shook off the weird feeling. "Good. So, here's what happened to your friend. He touches water, and what happens? He never died, so his soul can't cross over into the Realm of the Departed and it stays here. Exhibit A," he gestured to Cole. "But, he's a ghost, and since you destroyed the Cursed Realm, ghosts have to return to the Realm of the Departed once they 'die.' So, he crosses over."

Kai cleared his throat. "Am I the only one not following?"

"Cole's soul is split in two, airhead," Morro snapped. "Half is here, and half is back home."

There was a moment of silence as they let that sink in.

"So, that's why I can't remember?" Cole asked quietly, looking at the ground. "Why I have to go into the long sleep?"

"And, why your friend gets so sick when you possess him. Your soul isn't whole so it sucks energy from his. It almost makes you the person you were, but it's killing him in the process. That makes you a parasite."

Cole's face fell. "Oh."

"Don't listen to him, Cole," Kai said, glaring with all the intensity of his element at Morro, who only shrugged as if it to say, " _well, it's_ true." "You're not a parasite."

Cole nodded, but it was clear he didn't believe Kai.

"Is there any way to fix it?" Jay whispered. "To make his soul whole again?"

Morro turned to the blue ninja with a hand on his chin like he was deep in thought. "Well… you _could_ … _potentially_ … travel into the Departed Realm and retrieve the other half, but to do that you would need," another shark grin, "a guide."

"No, no, no!" But, Kai's protests were drowned out by the furiously whispered debate going on inside the huddle.

Zane looked up. "And, we're assuming your guidance would cost us a second favor?"

"Yep."

"And, we're also assuming you won't reveal what that favor is at this time?"

"Right again, Shiny."

"My name is not Shiny. I am Zane. I was built to-"

Nya grabbed him and pulled him back into the huddle.

Cole pointed at Morro. "You're fading."

The ghost looked down at himself to see his image flickering in and out of visibility. "That I am. Your friends will have to decide quick or else you're screwed."

Just as the icy wind tore through the room, Lloyd shouted over the roar, "Fine, Morro, you win! Just tell us what to do!"

"Get the Realm Crystal so you can cross into the Departed Realm," Morro explained, struggling to make his voice heard now that he was being pulled out of his existence here. "I'll be waiting for you when you get there."

Cole reached a hand toward the more powerful ghost. "Morro-"

But whatever he was going to say was drowned out by the rumbling of the earth as a hole was ripped through dimensions. The candles blew out.

When the lights came on, Morro was gone.

* * *

 **And, the title's double meaning finally makes sense! Cole is a lost soul, and his soul is _literally_ lost! *esoteric authorial satisfaction***

 **The "adventure" genre also finally comes into play with the ninja traveling into the Departed Realm with Morro as their guide! Trust me, with that premise, there's plenty of adventure in store! ;D I'd love to hear any guesses as what two things you think Morro will ask the ninja for in return for his guidance!**

 **I'm still taking recommendations for "Five Times...," even about Kai though I've already begun his, so leave a suggestion if you like!**


	10. Your Chariot Awaits, Milady

**Thanks again everyone for all your support! I know I said Monday for the "Five Times" but Christmas shopping got the best of me. -_-; Tomorrow I will post the first oneshot!**

 **Special thanks to YinYangBroandSis, RobinLost, Zena1421, StoriesAreMagic, XxNinjagoFanGirlxX25, xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx, TheEvil4ssHole, DaStonekeeper, RandomDragon, Nali Nali Nalina, SnowNinjaAJ, TheYellowNinja, Ebony umbreon, Peanut2196, musicalsaregood, DarkRed101, rbrill345, and Echo15 for reviewing! I love you all!**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **RandomDragon: Morro is definitely savvy in deal-making ;D I have noticed that Kai and Morro have similarities before, but you listed them perfectly and I agree with every one! But, of course the biggest difference is that Morro was alone (;﹏;) Thanks for your review! :D**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Neither party's letting their guards down, that's for sure! I am so happy you thought everyone was in character! Morro's sassiness is sooo fun to write, as were Kai's freak outs and Zane's nindroid speech XD The ninja are definitely in for an adventure in the Departed Realm! We open the chapter with them retrieving the Realm Crystal, so that question will be answered! I liked your idea about Morro's favor! We will find out in due time ;D I'm so happy your excited for the new stories on their way! Thank you so much!**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: You are really too kind! (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ I loved writing Morro, so I'm glad you liked how I portrayed him! He's always thinking two steps ahead, isn't he? I always like to add a little dose of humor in with the angst where I can, since I feel like that is more true to the tone of the show, so I'm happy you laughed instead of having all of these unfunny, out-of-place jokes. O_O I'm glad you're working so hard to convince your friend! XD Tell them they have a personal invite from the author. XD I'm so excited for the drawing, but please don't neglect your schoolwork for this story! XD It means the world to me that this chapter was just what you needed! I aim to please! :D Thank you so much!**

 **TheYellowNinja: Again with the incredibly kind reviews! (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ I am SO SO happy that you love this story AND think it's perfect! You are so nice, so thank you for making my day! I'm glad you think it actually makes sense XD Please, feel free to share about your personal life anytime! The kitten sounds adorable, and I hope you get it! (Though I'm more of a dog person myself XD) And, there's never any pressure to review! Thank you so much for your lovely review!**

 **rbrill345: Haha! I'm glad you liked the chapter! We'll see if the ninja can find the other half of Cole's soul. ;D I love Morro too, so I'm excited he's finally in the story XD I hope this chapter was worth your anticipation! Thank you so much!**

 **Echo15: Morro always has something up his sleeve! :D We'll find out what he wants eventually ;D It means so much to me that this story is the highlight of your week! (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ I thought the title was clever when I came up with it so I'm glad you think so too XD Jay and Cole care about each other so much, and, as we will see this chapter, Lloyd is definitely going to struggle with working together with Morro! Thank you so much for loving this story as much as I do!**

* * *

It took them two days to get to the Realm of the Departed. Part of that was travelling to Ninjago City. A large part of that was convincing Cyrus Borg he had to disable the security around the Realm Crystal, because they needed it for "official ninja business." After taking several DNA tests to ensure they weren't evil clones trying to steal the Crystal, explaining that they couldn't go into further detail because the situation was of "utmost secrecy" (but really because they knew an unauthorized romp in the Realm of the Departed with a super villain would probably not get them any closer to the Crystal), and finally pulling the "well, we _did_ save your life…" card, Cyrus Borg granted them permission to use the Realm Crystal as long as they returned it in a timely manner.

"This still reeks of a trap to me," Kai announced to Nya and Lloyd as they disembarked in Hiroshi's Labyrinth. Zane had agreed to stay on the Destiny's Bounty with Jay and Cole, who seemed to get weaker with each passing minute. "We get the Realm Crystal, and the second we land in the Departed Realm, Morro's there waiting for us with an ambush. We're delivering the only thing that can free him to wreak havoc in Ninjago again right to his door step!"

"We beat him once, and we'll beat him again," Lloyd replied steadfastly. "He's not going to get away with anything. That's a promise."

"Keep in mind, guys, that Morro wants something from us- two somethings," Nya input as they approached the fortress that housed the Crystal. "He won't betray us until he gets them."

"Unless it's all part of the trap," Kai countered. "Or one of those somethings is the Realm Crystal itself."

"Well, if you have any other suggestions, we're all ears."

Kai grumbled but said nothing.

* * *

Eventually, everything was ready. They had the Realm Crystal, aeroblades for each of them, and several bottles of water in the event that Nya became incapacitated.

As Zane finished helping Jay put on his blue gi while the others double checked all their preparations, Cole took over Jay's body for the first time since they collapsed.

"Guys," he said, allowing Zane to help him stand. "I don't think we should do this."

Lloyd sighed, "Cole-"

"Morro is too powerful, and I couldn't live with myself if I let you guys risk your lives and all of Ninjago for me."

Zane squeezed his shoulder.

"And, we couldn't live with ourselves if we didn't."

Cole dropped his eyes and whispered, so they had to strain to hear him.

"I'm not worth it."

Kai stepped forward and shoved him so he would have fallen over if Zane hadn't been there to catch him.

"Don't you ever say that again."

Cole stared back at his brother in bewilderment.

"Family is _always_ worth it, Cole," Nya added.

The black ninja was silent a moment longer- until he winced, grabbing his ear.

"Okay, _okay_ , I get it, Jay! Quit yelling at me!"

They all laughed, including Cole.

"On that note, though," Lloyd led in hesitantly. "Not all of us have to go. It might even be better to leave someone behind to warn people in case Morro does somehow get past us."

They all glanced at each other.

"Coming from someone who's been left behind _way_ too many times," Nya answered, huffing. "We're all going, Lloyd. We don't have any idea what's waiting for us in the Departed Realm. It might take all of us to get Cole's soul back."

Lloyd nodded, holding up the Realm Crystal. "Yeah, I thought as much. I did at least leave a note for Master Wu in case he gets back before we do." He smiled sheepishly. "We're going to be in _so_ much trouble."

Jay took over his body from Cole and shrugged, "When are we not?"

Lloyd thought. "Good point. Let's go. Everyone ready?"

Upon receiving a chorus of enthusiastic yeses, Lloyd activated the Realm Crystal. Immediately a huge hole opened up in the floor of the bedroom, and they all felt an immense gravity pulling them towards it.

They all shared confident smirks.

Then, they jumped.

* * *

The five ninja tumbled into the Realm of the Departed head over heels, crying out as they all crashed into one another.

"Ow, Kai, you're stepping on my hand!"

"Get your elbow out of my ribs!"

"Ow, my hair!"

"Sand in my eye! Sand in my eye!"

Needless to say, it wasn't very graceful or even remotely ninja-like.

"Finally!"

They all looked up simultaneously to see Morro standing over them with his arms crossed. He was wearing a plain brown hooded-cloak and glaring down at their dogpile. Lloyd matched his glare and hugged the Realm Crystal protectively to his chest, closing the portal leading back to Ninjago.

"I thought you dolts stood me up."

"We-"

"Guys, we have a problem!" Jay yelled. He coughed and waved his arms to get their attention until he could speak again. "It's Cole! Something happened when we passed through! He's- he's gone!"

"No, I'm not. I'm right here." Cole sat up from somewhere near the bottom of the dogpile, holding his head. Then, he froze. "Wait. I'm right here."

He looked down at his solid, ghostly body with huge eyes. "I'm right here." He grabbed Jay's shoulders excitedly. "I'm right here!"

Jay touched Cole's wrists hesitantly as the others shifted to watch with bated breath (and Morro looked on with disinterest and extreme boredom.) "You… remember?"

Cole nodded rapidly, grinning. "I remember everything!"

The two hugged, laughing though it was very close to crying- then, remembering they had an audience, quickly released each other and coughed in embarrassment.

"Well, duh," Morro rolled his eyes. "Of course you remember now that you're in the same realm as the other half of your soul. You'll only get stronger the closer we get to it. We can use that to our advantage"

"Like a metal detector?" Kai offered.

Morro blinked. "A what?"

"You know," Kai motioned uselessly with his hands as if that would aid his explanation. "A metal detector. It starts beeping louder the closer you get… to metal…," he trailed off when he saw the complete lack of comprehension on Morro's face.

The ghost shrugged, walking away. "Sure, whatever."

"Yeah, he doesn't know much about technology," Lloyd explained, standing up. The others followed suit. "Or, most things modern for that matter."

Now that they had recovered from their clumsy landing, the six ninja took the opportunity to finally observe their surroundings. They appeared to be smack in the middle of the desert. Random mountains and rocky outcroppings sprouted out of the ground at intervals, but mostly it was just hills upon hills of sand, sand, … and more sand.

The only splash of color was a small green backpack slumped over on the ground in the shadow of a squat mountain, which Morro headed toward. "I've been waiting a while," the ghost threw passive-aggressively over his shoulder. "I was about to give up. Even after I went to all the trouble of pinpointing where your exact location would be _and_ getting us a vehicle," the ghost shook his head with mock-regret. "No respect for other people's time. That's why nobody likes you guys."

"Hey, people like us…," Jay argued, pouting. "We're celebrities back home."

"Ah, I guess I should have said that's why nobody likes you guys _here_ ," Morro slung his backpack over his shoulders. "I should probably warn you about that… Nah, it'll be more fun to watch." He smirked.

Lloyd growled, "Morro, if you sabotage us-"

"Kidding, kidding," he held up his hands in a show of innocence, but the arrogant, endlessly amused expression never left his face. "Mostly."

"This 'vehicle' you mentioned?" Nya cut in before Lloyd strangled Morro. She pointedly searched all about her, but, once again, she saw nothing but sand.

"It's over here," Morro led them to the opposite side of the rocky hill. Sarcastically, he threw up both hands and announced, "Your chariot awaits, milady."

When they saw it, they didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

It was a school bus. _A school bus_. A rusty yellow school bus absolutely blanketed in garish (and inappropriate) graffiti. A rusty yellow school bus that didn't look like it would hold their weight let alone take them anywhere.

"'Chariot?!'" Nya repeated, planting both fists on her hips.

Morro shrugged. "It's the best I could… _acquire_ on short notice."

"'Acquire?'" Jay leveled a critical stare at him even as he leaned on Zane for support. "So, you stole it."

"Well, what do you expect? I wasn't about to cash in a favor for your sorry lot." Morro crossed his arms, as if they had personally offended him by being disappointed in the bus. "You can always _walk_."

"I'm driving!" Kai announced, rushing toward the bus before Nya snagged his collar and jerked him backward. "Ow! What was that for?"

" _You_ are not driving." Nya shook her head.

" _I'm_ driving," Morro corrected.

"Oh no, you're not," Lloyd rounded on the ghost, poking him in the chest. "How can we trust you not to drive us right off a cliff?"

"It's _my_ bus," Morro argued.

"No, it's not! You stole it!"

"Well, it's more my bus than your bus."

"You two, please stop your fighting," Zane sighed, placing hands on both their shoulders to push them apart. "We haven't even begun, and we're already falling apart. Let's find the most logical solution. Morro, we all agree you shouldn't drive because you are untrustworthy."

"And, I'm not driving because I have to keep an eye on him," Lloyd input, narrowing his eyes at the ghost. "And Nya can't drive because she has to be ready to blast him with water in case he tries something."

"I'm not up to it," Jay shook his head weakly.

"Me either," Cole echoed. "I may remember, but I can't guarantee my hands won't phase right through the steering wheel."

"Okay, that leaves me and Kai." Zane concluded. They all turned to the red ninja who grinned invitingly. "Okay, that leaves me." Zane amended.

"What?!" Kai protested. "Why can't I drive? I'm a great driver!"

"You've had your license suspended three times in the past year!" Jay pointed out.

Kai scoffed. "Like ninja need licenses."

"You've destroyed ten mailboxes, four stop signs, that fountain that used to be in Ninjago City Park, five-"

"Okay, okay, whatever," Kai crossed his arms sulkily. "I won't drive."

Zane smiled. "And, I have no objections. See? A perfectly logical solution. No need to fight."

"Fine by me," Morro said haughtily, straightening. "Let's go."

"And, just where are we going?" Lloyd demanded.

The ghost brushed past him. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Lloyd grabbed a fistful of Morro's cloak and slammed him into the rock wall, causing his victim to gasp in pain and the others in surprise.

"Lloyd-"

"I don't know who you think you are, or what kind of game you think you're playing," Lloyd snarled, jerking Morro forward and up by the collar of his cloak. "But, you are _not_ in charge. I am, and there is no love lost between you and me. So I would watch my step if I were you."

Morro stared unflinchingly into Lloyd's eyes.

Then a grin spread across his face.

"You are so afraid of me, it's adorable."

Lloyd growled, "Morro, I'm warning you-"

"Aw, what is it, Lloyd? Scared I might… _possess_ you again?" With that, Morro phased through Lloyd's hands and walked into him.

Lloyd shrieked, stumbling backward- _no, no, no_ -

Until he realized Morro wasn't inside him. The ghost was behind him, dusting himself off.

"Been there, done that, wasn't impressed," Morro continued, straightening his cloak. "But, I'll get you a nightlight if it helps."

Lloyd was flushed and trembling with humiliation. One second- it had taken _one second_ \- for Morro to reduce him to a snivelling, helpless-

Kai threw an arm around Lloyd's shoulders. "Alright, back off," he snapped at Morro. "You're not helping your case by acting like a jerk."

Morro shrugged. "He started it."

Zane stepped in as mediator once again. "What we lack here is communication. So, let us communicate in a calm, peaceful environment. Morro, would you _please_ tell us what our first step in retrieving Cole's soul is?"

"Well, since we are _communicating_ in such a _calm, peaceful_ environment, I guess I will," Morro complied. It was mocking, yes, but it was still compliance, and Zane was grateful for whatever he could get at this point. "I may be the most powerful ghost in the Realm of the Departed, but I can't keep track of every soul- or, half soul- that passes through here. Just don't have the patience."

"So… you don't know where my soul is?" Cole asked, anxiety creeping into his voice.

"Personally? No," Morro sighed. "But, I know a guy who does."

"And, by a guy, you mean a ghost, right?" Jay clarified.

"No, I mean a mermaid." Morro said sarcastically before throwing his arms in the air. "Of course I mean a ghost! We're in the Realm of the Departed!"

Jay recoiled, a supremely offended look on his face. "Sheesh, sorry I asked."

"And, just who is this 'guy?'" Nya asked, using air quotes.

"They call him the Bone Keeper. He makes it his business to know where every single spirit is at any given moment," he fixed them all with a look. "And, when I say business, I mean _business_. I told you nothing was free in the Departed Realm, and his prices are usually steep."

"We can pay it," Jay claimed confidently.

Cole raised an eyebrow. "You mean, _I_ can pay it. It is my soul after all."

"Cole, we've been over this," Jay rolled his eyes in exasperation. "We're in this together."

"You may change your mind about that when he names his price," Morro input unhelpfully. With a glance at the sky, he said, "If we leave now, we can _just_ make it before sunset."

"I think I speak for everyone when I say, 'let us get this show on the road!'" Zane exclaimed cheerfully before bounding up the steps of the bus and seating himself in the driver's seat. "All aboard!"

Cole and Jay looked at each other before laughing heartily and following the nindroid, with Cole helping Jay up the stairs. Morro rolled his eyes as he trudged up the steps, probably regretting all the life choices that brought him to the point of going on a road trip with his six most annoying enemies. Nya glanced back at Kai and Lloyd before following.

Lloyd tried to move, but Kai held him back. "Are you sure you're up for this?" He asked quietly.

The Green Ninja tried to shrug him off, embarrassed and angry with himself for getting so upset. "Yeah, Kai, I'm fine, so-"

"Lloyd, we have the Realm Crystal. You can go home right now if you want, and nobody would think any less of you."

Lloyd scoffed, turning the large gem over in his hand. " _Morro_ would."

Kai shrugged, "Who cares about him? He's a criminally insane psychopath."

The leader cracked a smile at that. "Yeah… But, really, I'm good. I'd never forgive myself if I ran away from him. Besides, I need to be here for Cole."

Kai held his gaze a moment longer, evaluating his truthfulness, before leading the way toward the bus. "Alright then. In Zane's words, 'let us get this show on the road!'"

* * *

 **So, Morro and Lloyd are not getting along as well as we would have liked but just as well as we expected. -_-; And, what lies in store for the ninja at the Bone Keeper's?**

 **As always, I'm still taking recommendations for "Five Times!"**


	11. My Mom's Going to Kill Me

**Hi, everyone! Sorry this chapter is so late -_-; I was not expecting Christmas time to be so crazy... But, here's a super long chapter to make up for it! :D**

 **Special thanks to RandomDragon, rbrill345, StoriesAreMagic, SnowNinjaAJ, TheEvil4ssHole, Peanut2196, Ms. Cipher16, DaStonekeeper, TheYellowNinja, Xaos, and Nali Nali Nalina for reviewing!**

 **And, SPECIAL SPECIAL SUPER DUPER A MILLION TIMES THANKS to Peanut2196 who drew the incredible, amazing, fantastic fan art that is the new cover of this story!**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **RandomDragon: I'm glad you thought those parts were funny XD I thought we could use a break from all the heavy angst! I'm also happy Cole is finally like his own character again :D Lloyd was certainly trying to put on a good show for Morro, but, after spending so much time in his body, Morro knows him too well. (;﹏;) Morro wants something, but he's not going to reveal his hand just yet ;D Aw, I LOVE your idea for "Five Times!" How cute! :3 I will certainly take that into account!**

 **rbrill345: Aw, I'm so glad you liked the chapter! :D Cole is actually a character again! Yay! Morro is sooo sassy, so it's very, very, VERY entertaining to write! :D Oh no! I'm sorry to hear about your fence! I'm sure if the Destiny's Bounty had a fence, Kai would have broken that too XD I'm so happy you're excited for the update! :D**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: Yay! You're so close to break! I know, heroes always rush into things unprepared in stories! The ninja had no idea what to expect in the Departed Realm, so I thought they should at least prepare a little bit XD I loooove writing Morro! XD XD XD I thought Kai's many car accidents would be a funny tangent XD Lloyd said Nya couldn't drive because he wanted her to be ready to blast Morro with water (so paranoid XD) Do let me know about your friends and the drawing! I'm still very, very excited! :D Straight As! Great job! Go catch that chocolate XD**

 **Xaos: It makes me so happy to know Morro was able to brighten up your day! (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ (He's certainly not brightening up the ninja's day! XD) He's so fun for me to write! You have a very good guess, so we'll see what he asks for ;D I' so so so happy that you're excited for the updates AND that you think they're in character! (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ That's a huge compliment! Thank you so much!**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Yeah, I thought Cyrus Borg would be hesitant to hand the Crystal over XD That's a very good theory about what Morro wants! We'll find out eventually! ;D Jay and Cole both have so much guilt and self-loathing inside them! Oh my goodness, the Magic School Bus XD That's amazing! Kai is such a bad driver XD Morro is SUCH a jerk! But, I still love him XD Thank you!**

* * *

"Fifty two thousand two hundred thirty nine cups of tea on the wall, fifty two thousand two hundred thirty nine cups of tea! Take one down, pass it around, fifty two thousand two hundred thirty eight cups of tea on the wall!"

Zane had merrily begun singing the song, and Jay and Cole had joined in intermittently when they felt up to it, but no one was that dedicated- until they discovered that Morro despised their singing. Now, all six ninja were belting it out with dance movements to match, and Morro was curled up in the fetal position on his seat, both hands pressed to his ears in an attempt to shut out the noise.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and had to admit defeat.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it! Stop the incessant caterwauling! Is this what you do for _fun_?!"

"Ha!" Jay exclaimed triumphantly from the seat directly behind Morro, elbowing Cole beside him. "Told you he wouldn't make it halfway. You owe me five bucks when we get home."

Cole buried his face in his hands and groaned, "So close…,"

Kai whispered to Nya, "Caterwauling?"

"Morro's right. We're being unfair," Zane, ever the voice of reason, called from the driver's seat, glancing at them in the rearview mirror. "What do _you_ do for fun, Morro?"

"Bathe in the blood of my enemies."

Awkward silence.

Morro looked around, confused. "That was a joke." Nothing. "It's funny, because ghosts can't bathe."

Cole reached over the back of the seat and placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "That's not the part of the joke that was the problem."

Kai whispered to Nya, "Epic fail." Lloyd laughed.

Morro snarled, shaking the hand off and leaning forward in his seat so he was closer to Zane. "Are we still headed north?"

"Eighteen degrees north to be exact," Zane confirmed.

The ghost directed his gaze to the window, which still framed mostly sand. They had passed the odd outpost here and there though, so there were signs of life- er, death- afterlife. "Good. We're right on track."

"So, Morro," Jay began, crossing his arms on the back of Morro's seat and leaning over it. Now that Cole was out of his body for an extended period of time, he already felt much stronger and less nauseous. And, having him whole and here beside him instead of barely visible and afraid or inside him and depressed helped him forget about the fact it was his fault they were on this journey in the first place, helped him forget about killing his best friend. It was easy to act like everything was normal, when he wasn't sure if everything would ever be truly normal again. So, true to his chatty nature, he asked, "Is the entire Departed Realm a desert? Because that's a real bummer if this is what we have to look forward to."

"No," Morro answered, perhaps grateful for the chance to steer the conversation away from his poor attempt at a joke. "There are tons of places to exist: tranquil forest, frozen tundra, bustling city, you name it. The desert is the quote-unquote 'bad part of town.'"

"So, you can just go wherever you want?" Nya asked from the other half of the bus where she sat beside Kai and behind Lloyd, who was sure to watch Morro like a hawk every moment. "You're not… 'assigned' to any one place?"

"No. You can drift from place to place without mortal concerns like money or tiredness or hunger." Morro paused, then added thoughtfully, "It's nice."

"But, you deal in favors?" Zane questioned from the front of the bus.

"Or souls if you want something big," Morro explained. "Some ghosts do small jobs- like own a shop or sing and dance- because it makes them feel alive."

Jay frowned. "Sounds kind of sad."

"Like I said, it's peaceful," the ghost turned to stare out the window. "You'll feel differently after you die."

"Where do you live?" Cole asked, leaning over the seat as well. "A windmill?"

"I don't live in any one place. I go where I feel like going," Morro replied. "And, sometimes I'm ripped away from where I feel like going by a Summoning Spell and forced back into the Mortal Realm. That's always fun."

"But, you've got to have a _home_ ," Kai said, forcing himself not to take the bait. "Like, where all your friends are."

"I told you, I don't have any friends, because I don't need any friends."

"You have friends," Jay argued. "Bansha, Ghoultar, the Soul Archer, that guy we beat with a water tower…,"

"Them?" Morro snorted. "Means to an end."

"So, you're lonely," Lloyd spoke up for the first time. "That explains a lot."

"I am not lonely. Needing people makes you weak," he pointedly looked Lloyd up and down. "That explains a lot."

"Enough, you two," Nya admonished. Mirroring each other perfectly, Morro and Lloyd crossed their arms and looked out their respective windows.

No one spoke much after that.

It was some time before Zane called from the driver's seat, "Is that where we're headed, Morro?"

The bus was approaching what looked to be a small shantytown, reminiscent of an Old West cowboy movie with dilapidated buildings lining either side of the dirt road- that is, except for where the road ended at a sleek, modern building. It was as big as a football stadium with strobe lights shining every which way in the evening sky. It was absolutely covered with neon lights, advertising gambling, food, and services of… _other_ varieties. And at the top, a monumental sign that must have been in point a million font that read "The Bone Keeper's" in swooping letters.

"A casino?!" Jay shouted, eyes bugging out of his head as he gaped. "We're too young to go in there!"

"Age isn't a thing in the Departed Realm," Morro explained, moving into the aisle even though the bus was still moving. "It would kind of suck to never be able to do anything if you died as young as I did."

"My mom's going to kill me…," Jay moaned.

"What you should be worried about is what happens after we get in," Morro said irritably, moving into a seat near the middle of the bus and lifting a stack of brown cloaks identical to the one he was currently wearing. "Here, everything's backwards. You're the bad guys, and _I'm_ the celebrity."

"You? You're a celebrity?" Kai scoffed disbelievingly.

"I _did_ unleash the Preeminent in the Mortal Realm," Morro threw the cloak so it hit the red ninja in the face. "You'll already draw enough attention by being mortal, so wear these to conceal your identities." He distributed the cloaks. "See how hospitable I am? I should get _three_ favors for this."

"Nuh uh," Lloyd shook his head severely, reluctantly pulling on the cloak Morro offered him. "Two favors. That was the agreement."

"What _are_ those two favors anyway?" Kai asked as he fixed his hair that the ghost's rude gesture had flattened, coming off way too suspicious to succeed in sounding nonchalant.

"I'll let you know when I want them," is all Morro said, pulling up his own hood. Zane guided the bus off the road and into an empty space near the casino where several other vehicles were parked, including a line of motorcycles, a smattering of monster trucks, and, yes, even a tank. "Keep a low profile so we don't get mobbed by screaming fangirls _or_ vengeful wraiths, alright?"

The group of seven approached the doorway, keeping their faces directed toward the ground and half tucked into the collars of their cloaks. When they neared the tall, red and gold embellished double doors, one of the two burly bouncers held up a hand.

"No field trips, kiddies," he said, and then they both proceeded to laugh at the joke.

"Tell the Bone Keeper his exterminator's here for a follow-up visit," Morro said confidently, tilting his head back so they could see his dead-serious gaze.

The two bouncers shared a look. The one who made the joke nodded, and the other disappeared into the casino, presumably to deliver the message.

"Do we even want to know how you got that nickname?" Jay asked, glancing nervously at the bouncer who remained like a brick wall in front of the door.

"No," Morro pulled his hood lower. "You don't."

The bouncer who had been sent on the errand returned. "Let them in."

The double doors opened wide and the seven elemental masters shuffled through, six of them ogling the scene inside. Neon lights flashed everywhere. Slot machines were ringing throughout the room, followed by the cheers and groans of winners and losers. Around the room, several tables had crowds gathered around them, jostling one another either so they could get a better view or to get a turn to play whatever the game was. Scantily clad waitresses orbited around the room, delivering food (but no drinks.)

The bouncer pointed at a table meant for dining. "Wait until the boss is ready to see you," he smirked and gestured at the games. "But, feel free to try your luck in the meantime."

They sat down- and were almost immediately bombarded by waitresses adorning their table with… exotic food.

"Don't worry, boys," one of them smiled, winking at Kai who blushed. "This one's on the house."

"Um, hello?" Nya waved her hand, but the waitresses continued to ignore her. "There is a girl here also."

The woman nearest Jay drew back her hand from his shoulder as if he had burned her. "You're alive?"

Jay laughed nervously, keeping half his face turned away from her. "Alive is… such a _relative_ term…,"

"Buzz off," Morro snapped, and the female ghosts drifted back with hurt expressions. "Can't you see we're busy here?"

Grumbling, the women sauntered away, much to Kai's dismay.

"Morro," Zane addressed, studying one of the nearby tables that seemed to be the site of a poker game, though all the cards were black and purple and the suits included skulls and tombstones instead of hearts and spades. On the table were small, oval pebbles, only slightly bigger than a stamp and of varying colors and designs, instead of poker chips. "What is it they are betting with? It seems to be some sort of rock, but I don't recognize the type."

"They're Soul Stones," Morro explained, slurping up the black sludge that reminded them a little too much of Lord Garmadon's condensed evil. The others prodded their own meals experimentally- except for Cole who was happily sampling everything in sight.

"When you sell your soul to someone, you give them your Soul Stone. Normally, it's inside you, but it can be made into a physical thing with a special type of blade, blah, blah, blah. Whoever owns it owns you, though you still exist separately from it. You have to do anything and everything your master tells you to do. That's the fate Ronin was trying to avoid." Morro gestured at the table. "They're gambling with their slaves. Only in dire situations do you gamble with your own. Or, you get tricked out of it. Or, you trade it for something. Or, it gets stolen. There are a number of possibilities. The upside of the Departed Realm though is that you have eternity to win it back."

"Wait…," Cole paused momentarily in scarfing down the various dishes, much to the relief of the others. (They were about to throw up just watching him.) "So, is the other half of my soul one of those little rock things?"

"A Soul Stone," Morro corrected. "Your consciousness remained in the Mortal Realm, so yes, it is. Or, at least half of one."

Cole paled- or rather, turned a lighter shade of green. "Does that mean someone else has it?"

Morro looked back at him with… was that a twinge of _empathy_ in his eyes? "They could. But, it could also be unclaimed if no one has found it yet. That's why we need to ask the Bone Keeper."

Cole looked down and pushed his bowl away, suddenly not hungry anymore. The other ninja, contrary to what they were thinking just moments before, wished they could watch him eat again if only to get rid of that anxious expression on his face. Especially Jay. Because if his best friend was in danger of becoming someone else's slave, it was, once again, his fault.

"Well, what do we have over here?"

They all turned to watch the approaching gang of ghosts. They were the epitome of bikers: leather jackets with rips and spikes in several places, sunglasses even though they were indoors and it was quite dim in the casino (and it was nighttime anyway), and tattooes inked into their faintly glowing skin.

Three of the ten or so, presumably the leader and his right hands, stopped directly at their table. The one in charge peered over the top of his sunglasses. "A couple of _humans_?"

"I think they got lost, boss," one of the others joked, showing off gold teeth.

"Or, they're about to _get_ lost," the leader responded. His eyes roamed around the table- until they landed on Nya, who, in spite of the bulky brown cloak, still clearly had the figure of a woman. "Except for you, baby," he purred, placing a hand on her shoulder and leaning close. "You can get _found_ with me."

Before Kai or any of the other ninja could strangle him, Nya scoffed and smacked his wrist. "Back off, sleaze ball."

The leader's flirtatious smile dropped, and he reared his hand back, as if to strike her. "Why, you little-"

Kai was between them, shoving the ghost backward into his two lackeys. "She said back off."

If looks could kill, the thug would be writhing on the floor, but instead of being intimidated, he only chuckled. "Hear that? She said back off."

The entirety of the gang started laughing. Then, the bigger of the two minions, moving deceptively fast for a person his size, snatched Kai's arm, twisted it behind his back, and slammed the red ninja face first into the table.

The other five ninja were on their feet with aeroblades drawn, and the two factions leered at each other. The other patrons of the casino had all stopped their respective activities to watch the showdown, so it was deathly silent, unbroken by the sounds of slot machines or even cards being dealt.

"Unhand him," Zane commanded calmly, though his gaze was cold. "There is no need to fight."

"'Unhand him,'" The leader mimicked. He moved to stand directly beside Kai, who snarled but couldn't break free from the massive ghost's grip. The ninja were about to spring into action- until the ghost flicked out a knife. "I think I'd much rather carve up his pretty face."

Before anybody could stop him, he ripped off Kai's hood. And, was met with the very angry, very _recognizable_ face of the fire ninja who had contributed to the destruction of the Cursed Realm.

He gasped. "It's one of the ninja!" Then, piecing it together, he turned to glare at the others. "You're the ninja!"

Almost immediately the other customers in the casino started shouting threats and taunts, advancing toward the group, who quickly figured they were outnumbered at least five to one.

The biker ghost growled, brandishing his blade, "You have a lot of nerve showing up here! Boys-"

No one expected what happened next.

Morro, with his hood thrown back and showing off the defining green streak in his hair, grabbed the biker's wrist of the hand holding the knife.

Whispers replaced the jeers.

"Is that…?"

"Morro! I can't believe it's actually him!"

"Morro! I love you!"

Morro glared at the thug who was at least a head taller. "Stand. Down."

"Morro…?" The biker blinked, obviously blind-sided. But, quite gracefully, he recovered, sneering, "What are you doing with the likes of _them_?"

"They owe me." He replied, voice steady though his grip on the biker's wrist didn't loosen. "Wouldn't you like to have the ninja in your pocket?"

The biker hesitated, figuring he could either back down and risk looking foolish or push ahead and try to start something.

He chose the latter.

"I don't think you want a favor," he argued. "I think you've just gone soft."

More whispers rippled through the uneasy crowd.

Morro tightened his grip to an almost painful level. A chilly wind started blowing through the room. Everyone except Morro shivered, more from the eerie howl than the cold. "If I were you, I would choose my next words very carefully."

"You couldn't finish the job with the Preeminent," he explained, his voice loud and clearly seeking support from the crowd. "And, you haven't hurt a fly since you got here." He smirked. "I don't think you have the balls."

Wind tore through the casino, whipping at everyone's clothes and roaring in their ears. Humans and ghosts (and nindroid) alike grabbed onto whatever they were near to help keep themselves upright. The biker holding Kai was forced to let go, and Kai, unbalanced, tumbled to the ground. Morro crushed the man's wrist in his fist and twisted, forcing him to gasp and drop the knife.

"I am Morro, Master of Wind," the ghost announced, the gale picking up in volume in response. Tables flipped over and slot machines crashed to the ground. The biker ghost was forced to his knees by Morro's bone-breaking grasp. "And, you will leave. _Now_."

"Alright, alright!" The biker yielded, waving his free hand to show his submission. "Just let me go!"

Instantly, the wind died. Morro released him.

The biker jerked his head toward the door, and his gang filed out, though not without a generous amount of muttered curses. Just as the doors opened, framing the bikers' motorcycles lined up side by side, a gust of wind knocked down the motorcycle on the far right so it toppled into the one next to it, and so on, like dominoes.

The leader turned to glare at Morro, who only shrugged with a smirk. "Oops."

Furious but unable to contend with the more powerful ghost, the bikers left the building.

When Morro turned back around, the other patrons quickly dropped their eyes and returned to the activity they were participating in before, so as to not be associated with the insubordination of the thug.

Except the ninja who were all staring at Morro with eyes as wide as dinner plates.

He blinked. "What?"

"That was…," Cole said, still gaping, " _r_ _eally_ awesome."

"Are you kidding?!" Jay exclaimed, gesticulating wildly. "That was the coolest thing I've ever seen! Well, not the coolest thing I've ever seen, but cooler than anything I expected from _Morro_. I mean, the way you scared them off without throwing a punch?!"

Kai crossed his arms. "I had it under control."

Zane pat his shoulder. "I am sure the table was very intimidated by your face being squished into it."

" _Anyway_ ," Nya cut in. "Um, I never thought I'd be saying this, but… thanks, Morro." She offered a little smile.

Morro shifted his weight, appearing… uncomfortable with all the attention. "I was only doing what I had to. To hold up my end of the bargain. So, I get that favor from you."

"Have you really not hurt anyone since you got here?" Lloyd asked, looking at him with a searching gaze.

Morro met his eyes for half a second before turning away and replying flippantly, "Guess I just haven't gotten around to it. I've been busy."

Lloyd opened his mouth to say something else- when the same bouncer from before floated up to them.

"The Bone Keeper will see you now."

* * *

 **The ninja really know how to make an entrance, don't they? ;D But, what can they expect from the Bone Keeper? And, what price will they have to pay for the information they want?**

 **Feel free to leave "Five Times" recommendations! Thank you and I love you all!**


	12. Secret

**Thank you everyone who has read, reviewed, alerted, and favorited this story! It means the world to me!**

 **Special thanks to YinYangBroandSis, Peanut2196, FropessionalWriter95, Ebony umbreon, rbrill345, ABCSKW123-IX, StoriesAreMagic, TheYellowNinja, RandomDragon, SnowNinjaAJ, Drawkill Vear, MagicWords22, Nali Nali Nalina, caughtbyfire, and DaStonekeeper for reviewing! You guys are amazing!**

 **And, MEGA ULTRA SUPER THANKS to ABCSKW123-IX for drawing fanart for this story! It is super awesome, so check it out at** **sta. sh / 01acwtku3y5q (with the spaces removed from the link :D)**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **rbrill345: Aw, thank you! Morro is pretty awesome, and I love the cover photo too :3 I hope you had a merry Christmas!**

 **TheYellowNinja: Yes, I love exploring Morro's rarely seen soft side, and we'll see a *bit* more of it in this chapter ;D Thank you so much!**

 **RandomDragon: Kai's protective instincts are always first priority THEN stealth. XD We'll see the meeting with the Bone Keeper this chapter! Thank you so much!**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: I love Morro too! I'm so excited to see the drawing! Be sure to let me know where it's posted! Interesting theory about what Morro wants. We'll find out eventually ;D Haha, I'm sorry to hear about your friend XD Thank you so much!**

 **Drawkill Vear: Haha! Thank you so much! The meeting with the Bone Keeper is this chapter, and, no, it will probably not go as smoothly as the ninja would like XD**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Yep, I had to include that song in there! And, at least there's the illusion of normalcy again. XD Yes, I would worried people would question that and debated explaining it further. The detail of Morro's "exterminator" nickname is supposed to allude to the fact that Morro and the Bone Keeper have made deals with each other before in the Cursed Realm... but looking back, I see how that didn't come across well at all -_-; But, no, Morro hasn't hurt anyone since he's arrived in the Departed Realm. Sorry about the confusion! We'll see about Cole's Soul Stone soon enough! ;D I'm glad you liked Zane's joke XD I love your guesses about the Bone Keeper! He will finally be in this chapter! I love your suggestions for "Five Times" and will certainly take those into account! Thank you so much!**

 **caughtbyfire: Aw, thank you so much! That is a very good theory! We will see ;D**

 **And, one last thing before you begin reading! This chapter is a bit strange in terms of style and format, and I took some creative liberties with the ninja's pasts. PLEASE let me know if you like it and think it's a cool part of the story... or if you hated it or thought it was weird or anything like that. :/**

* * *

As they shuffled up a staircase, feeling the gazes of all the casino's patrons on their backs, Morro said quietly over his shoulder, "I have to warn you. The Bone Keeper can read minds."

"What?!" Lloyd whisper-shouted. "You're only telling us this now?!"

"Only if you let him inside your head," Morro continued hurriedly, glancing at the quickly approaching office door. "If you give him consent to look into your mind, he can make you see things. Remember, it's not real."

Before they could sufficiently panic about such a powerful potential foe or berate Morro further for withholding that information until they were ten feet away from the ghost in question, they arrived at an ornate wooden door with a gold handle.

The bouncer held the office door open for the seven ninja and then closed it behind them. It was the size of a master bedroom with an impressive mahogany desk dominating the far half of the room. Behind the desk was a window taking up the entire back wall, showcasing the roaming desert landscape and full moon, and in front of that was a tall rolling chair that had its back to them. The carpet was a deep purple color, and lining the entire rest of the room were bookcases that matched the desk, housing tomes that were each at least five inches thick. In front of the desk were two robust armchairs, but no one sat down.

The swivel chair swung around, and the Bone Keeper stood up with a genial smile on his face.

The Bone Keeper was unique in that he had a faint blue glow, rather than a green one. He wasn't a particularly tall or broad man, but his immaculate, pinstriped suit, shiny shoes, and slicked back salt and pepper hair all screamed power. And, though his posture and expression were nothing but welcoming, there was... _something_ , in his eyes or his smile or something else they couldn't place their fingers on, that warned them not to trust this man.

"Morro!" He greeted like they were old friends. He walked directly to the younger ghost and kissed him on both cheeks. Though the others might have laughed if it were any other time, it didn't seem right in this situation.

In response, Morro kept his face carefully neutral. "Bone Keeper." He inclined his head in acknowledgment.

"Come to make another deal? The other one didn't work out so well, but maybe now-"

"No," Morro said quickly, with a nervous glance at the ninja beside him. "I'm only the middle man this time. The guy who knows a guy; you know how it is."

"Of course, of course," The Bone Keeper leaned against his desk and let his gaze sweep over the others. "My, my, it is quite an honor to be visited by the ninja of the Mortal Realm. Some might question your sanity for walking directly into the Realm of the Departed. You may have noticed you are not very well liked."

Lloyd stepped forward. "Bone Keeper, we are-"

"Looking for the rest of Cole's soul, I presume," he finished with a half-hearted gesture at said black ninja, who shifted uneasily. "Yes, I was aware when that half of his Soul Stone entered the Departed Realm, just as I was aware when the six of you showed up. It wasn't so hard to put the pieces together."

"So, you know where it is?" Jay asked before he could stop himself.

"I know where everyone is," They could've sworn they saw a snake's forked tongue flick between his teeth. "The question is what you are willing to pay for it."

Lloyd splayed his palms. "The best I can offer you is our skills as ninja. Maybe there is some task-"

"I have scores of souls to do menial labor," The Bone Keeper interrupted, holding up a hand. "I am a merchant of knowledge. What I want is something I don't already know."

"I have data on numerous categories," Zane offered. "Simply tell me what you would like to know, and-"

"No, no," the Bone Keeper shook his head, that same creepy, too wide smile on his face. "I have all the information I could possibly want about the Mortal Realm. What I want is something _no one_ else knows."

Kai grabbed at his hair. "What is it with people and talking in riddles? Just tell us what you want!"

Nya smacked him in the back of the head. "Kai! Don't be rude!"

But, the Bone Keeper did not appear irritated in the slightest, and that only validated their perception about him: he was _creepy_. "What I want…," he tilted his head back challengingly, "is a _secret_."

"A secret?" Lloyd repeated suspiciously. "What kind of secret?"

"Your deepest, darkest secret," the Bone Keeper clarified, the smile becoming all the more sinister. "It could be anything really. A traumatic memory, your worst fear, your heart's desire." His eyes trailed over the other ninja, making them avert their own eyes. "Whatever it is you don't want anyone else to know."

Cole cleared his throat. "So, if I tell you a secret, you'll tell me where my Soul Stone is?"

"Not just you," the Bone Keeper shook his head slowly back and forth as if he was laughing at a particularly funny joke, but his expression did not change. "Taking into account how valuable a half Soul Stone is and how urgently you need to know its location, that information is worth a secret from all seven of you."

"Oh no," Morro backed up two steps. "That's _six_ secrets. I told you, I'm only the middle man."

"Yes..," the Bone Keeper trailed his finger along the smooth surface of his desk. "But, you _did_ break five slot machines and two poker tables downstairs with your little wind show. Give me a secret, and we'll call it even."

Morro paused, as if recalling the events of five minutes ago, and then grumbled and stepped back into line.

"Okay, I'll go first," Cole volunteered. "Once, I-"

The Bone Keeper held up his hand. "Please. If you say your secret aloud, it is no longer a secret, now is it?" He cocked his head. "I will retrieve your deepest, darkest secret myself," he moved his hand position so his thumb was hovering over his index and middle finger. Preparing to snap his fingers. "All you have to do is say yes."

Letting him inside their heads. Revealing their deepest, darkest secret to an untrustworthy ghost that could potentially use it against them later.

They turned to Lloyd.

Lloyd looked at Cole, who subtly shook his head.

The Green Ninja nodded.

"Yes."

The Bone Keeper snapped his fingers.

* * *

"Kai, honey, won't you kiss Mommy goodbye?"

Four year old Kai pouted and crossed his arms, turning his back to his parents.

Because they were dropping him and Nya off at _Mrs. Grumiller's_ , the stinky, old lady's house who never let him run around or play and always told him to "sit still like a good boy," which just made him want to run around more.

He'd thrown a full blown temper tantrum, complete with screaming, crying, pounding and kicking the floor, because he didn't _want_ to go to stupid Mrs. Grumiller's. And, yeah, he woke the baby, and he did feel a little bad about that because he didn't like it when Nya cried, but then his dad had spanked him and _that_ was unforgivable.

So, he decided to be mad at his parents for the rest of his life and then take Nya and run away. It was the only logical option.

He did feel a little bad again when he saw them standing in the doorway of Mrs. Grumiller's house and looking really sad- like _really_ sad- and really did want to kiss his mom and dad goodbye because he always did, but he decided he still had to be mad at them.

He felt his dad's huge hand on the top of his head. He liked his dad's hands- they were really big and rough because of all the work he did and Kai decided he wanted hands like that one day- and he wanted more than anything to turn around and hug his dad's legs and say he was _sorry_ , sorry he woke the baby, sorry he was such a bad kid. But, he didn't because he was still mad because those same hands had spanked him just a little while ago.

"We hope you forgive us, son."

Okay, that was… weird. Even Kai knew it wasn't _that_ big of a deal. He threw temper tantrums all the time, and he always had to be mad for a little while after.

His mom kissed the top of his head where his dad's hand had been. "We love you, Kai."

He watched them go. Why were they acting so _weird_? They seemed really sad, and he wanted to run out to them and tell them he forgave them… but he didn't. He would tell them when they got back tomorrow. He would tell them he wasn't mad anymore and he wasn't going to run away and that he loved them a lot, _a lot_ , and then they wouldn't be sad anymore.

They never came back.

* * *

Nya laughed at Jay's joke. And, then she realized she couldn't remember what the joke actually was. But, he just told it… How…?

She forgot about her concern as Jay turned back to the car they were working on together. She liked watching him work on something, especially when he forgot she was watching. He was so cute when he was doing what he loved, and the faint smile on his face was to die for. And, when he was doing something physical, she could certainly appreciate the muscles no one remembered he had rippling beneath his skin…

Suddenly, her phone buzzed. It was a news notification, and she gasped when she saw the headline.

 _Nya the Girl Ninja: Needs a Boyfriend to Feel Relevant_

"What?!" She roared, opening the news app on her phone. Another suggested article popped up.

 _Jaya or Conya? Nya Uses Love Triangle to Get Attention_

Outrage was the only emotion Nya could articulate at the moment. Jay seemed not to notice her distress; he continued fixing the car as she scrolled.

 _Five Reasons Why Nya is a Bad Role Model for Your Daughter_

 _Nya Claims to be Trailblazer, Needs Validation of Men_

 _Of Course the Only Girl Ninja Has a Boyfriend_

… Was it true?

Was she not the hero to little girls everywhere that she thought she was?

Was she dependent on the boys in her life to tell her who she was supposed to be?

"Here, Nya," Jay handed her the wrench with a loving smile on his face. Only a moment ago, she had treasured that smile. Now, she couldn't stand the sight of it. "Can you tighten that bolt for me?"

"Of course I can!" She snapped, crossing her arms. "Are you implying that women can't do male-dominated jobs just as well as men can?"

Jay furrowed his brow. "No, I-"

"I can, but I _won't_ because you don't tell me what to do," with that she dropped the wrench and stormed off, leaving a bewildered Jay in her wake. She felt a little guilty for flying off the handle like that, but if the world wanted an independent, strong, female role model, that's what they were going to get.

* * *

Jay opened his eyes.

The room was very dim. He recognized it as Cole's bedroom on the Destiny's Bounty, but he couldn't remember how he had gotten there. Hadn't he just been doing something else? Hadn't he just been... somewhere else?

He turned, feeling a little freaked out, more so because he could not identify the cause of his unrest, but sighed in relief when he saw Cole lying on the bed, his back to Jay.

He shook his best friend's shoulder. "Cole! Am I crazy, or is something strange-"

Cole rolled onto his back.

Jay gasped, scrambling backward.

Cole was covered in blood. His skin, the sheets, everything stained scarlet. His eyes were glassy, and his face was too pale.

Jay slapped a hand over his mouth, about to be sick. But, he pulled the hand away in shock when he felt something sticky on his face.

His hands were red.

His gi was dark purple in places, almost black.

Now, he remembered. He killed Cole.

"No!" Jay shouted immediately upon arriving at the realization. "I didn't! It- It was an _accident_!"

 _Was it?_

Jay searched for the owner of the voice. "Yes! I couldn't- I would _never-_ "

 _You saw the reflection in the tomb. You were going to end up with Nya. Wasn't that enough?_

"No, no!" Jay protested his innocence while backing away from the lifeless body in guilt. "That was over! Cole let-"

 _Exactly. He_ let _you have her. Were you afraid he was going to change his mind? Afraid that you'd have to compete with him- and lose?_

Jay shook his head unable to make his voice loud enough. "No…,"

 _Because he's better than you in every way. Strong, brave, confident. And, look at you._

"Stop it…," Jay begged, clasping his hands over his ears even though he knew it wouldn't help. Because now he finally recognized the voice as his own.

 _The worst part is that he never saw it coming. Trusted you right up until the very end…_

* * *

Zane sat cross-legged in the snow beside the tree where he was created, hand hovering over his memory switch.

To the nindroid half of him, it was logical. It made sense. Dr. Julien, even with the elixir Samukai had given him, was old. He'd spent years in unfavorable conditions, isolated from any medical doctors. It was only a matter of time before he fell ill again. It was only a matter of time before…

To the human half of him, it wasn't fair. It just wasn't… _fair_. So much time with no idea where he came from, no idea _who he was_ , and then he'd found his father in the most unlikely of places by a stroke of luck and he didn't feel quite so alone anymore and he felt like they could make up for so much lost time...

And, then he died.

And, left Zane alone again. _Again_.

Well, that wasn't completely true. Zane knew he wasn't _alone_ alone. He had his brothers and sister and sensei, and he loved them all dearly, but really, he was tired. Tired of all the pressure of being a ninja, tired of having to risk everything _everything_ for the sake of a world who never seemed to appreciate what they were giving up.

And, no matter what, _no matter what_ , none of his brothers or Nya or even wise Master Wu could know what it was like to be so different from everybody else and not know what to do about it. No one else knew what it was like to be alive without really being alive, no one lied awake at night pondering not only _how_ he was alive but _why_ and _if_ he should be.

So, maybe it was better to forget that he'd ever been different. To forget the heartache of losing his father not once but _twice_. To forget about the weight of the entire world on his shoulders. It seemed fitting to do it here, where he'd forgotten once before.

He didn't do it. Couldn't do it. Because he was a coward.

So he went back to his family, who did love him and who he would've missed, and acted as if everything was alright. That was what he was good at. Acting as if everything was alright.

* * *

Cole woke up. It was quiet. Way too quiet. There should be some music playing somewhere, or his mom should be singing…

He hopped out of bed and started chewing on his sleeve because it made him feel better for some reason. He'd argued with his mom that five year olds didn't take naps, but she had told him to go in his room and not come out or he'd be in big trouble, so he fell asleep.

She had a bottle in her hand when she said it. He didn't like it when she had the bottle, because she acted different and it was a little scary when his mom acted different.

Then again, he liked being in on the secret. She used to fight with Daddy about the bottle, so she started hiding it. Now she only took it out when Daddy was working. She would wink and say, "Our little secret. No telling Daddy, right, baby?"

He liked it when she called him "baby," so he'd bob his head and say "yep!"

He wandered into the living room. The cuff of his sleeve was now wet with spit, but he kept chewing because it gave his mouth something to do and his stomach felt weird. ("Nervous eater" his dad called him when he complained about being starving before a performance.)

She was lying on the couch.

His mom looked like she was sleeping, but when he shook her and called her name over and over again she didn't move and there were a lot of bottles around and he wasn't supposed to tell but Daddy would know what to do because dads always knew what to do and what could he do when _she wouldn't wake up_ -

Afraid but also hoping his mom would wake up and yell at him for telling their little secret, Cole stood on his tiptoes to grab the phone and dialed the number he knew by heart.

"Hello! Lou of the-"

"Daddy?"

"Cole? What did I tell you about playing with the phone? Where is your mother?"

And even though he was a big kid, he started crying like a baby- _Mommy called him baby_ …

"Sh-Sh-She won't m-m-move…,"

His dad was saying something after that and asking him a lot of questions he didn't know the answers to while also trying to tell him that everything was going to be okay when that was _obviously a lie_. He kept trying to get his mom to move. She wouldn't move. She wouldn't move.

Then, his dad was rocking him in his lap and humming the songs he liked but men were taking his mom away…

Daddy explained that, like the time they had to flush Pebble the fish down the toilet because she started swimming upside down, Mommy was going into the ground and never coming back. Because of the bottle. And, the secret.

* * *

Kai, Cole, Jay, Zane, and Nya were laughing as they climbed aboard the Destiny's Bounty, playfully shoving one another.

"I told you those snakes didn't stand a chance!" Kai boasted.

"Yeah, but did you see the way Zane fell flat on his face and Lloyd had to rescue him?" Jay pointed out, nudging the nindroid playfully.

"I would not have fallen if you had not been distracted fawning over Nya and forced me to dive out of your path." Zane replied, causing Jay to splutter and blush.

"I-I wasn't _fawning_ …,"

Cole looped an arm around his shoulders. "You were definitely fawning. Anyway, I think we can all agree that Lloyd kicked some serious butt back there."

Said Green Ninja pulled himself over the railing at that exact moment. Grinning, he said, "I saw Nya taking out way more snakes than I did."

Nya started bragging, and Lloyd was sure this had to be bliss. Here, with all his friends just coming off an easy win, for once.

He turned and called over the railing. "Right, Morro?"

The seventh ninja flipped onto the deck, shrugging. "I could've done better."

"You got tied up. _Literally_. With a _rope._ "

"It was all part of my master plan," Morro countered, crossing his arms. "And, then Kai had to ruin it by untying me."

"Yeah, you're _welcome_ by the way," the red ninja called, overhearing his name in the conversation.

"What's going on out here?" Master Wu asked as he shuffled out onto the deck where all of his students were gathered. "I trust your mission was a success?"

"Yes, Sensei," Morro answered, turning to face his teacher.

"Good," Master Wu placed his hand on Morro's shoulder, and his eyes crinkled with affection. Morro knew he was different. The others were his students, Lloyd was his nephew, but Morro was his-

His-

Morro gasped, nearly tripping in his haste to get away from Master Wu, from Lloyd, from _all_ of them.

"This isn't real," He whispered. The others looked back at him in confusion.

"What are you talking-"

"This isn't real! This isn't real! None of this is real!" Morro yelled, turning away so he wouldn't have to _look_ at them anymore. "I'm _dead_! And, I-"

He grinded his fists into the eyes of this fake, mortal body that could cry, because he remembered the Bone Keeper was watching.

 _And, I don't deserve this_.

* * *

Lloyd's eyes snapped open. He was breathing heavily.

 _Focus, Lloyd_ , he told himself. But, what was it he was supposed to focus on? Something… something important…

He looked around to gather his bearings while trying to remember whatever it was he was supposed to focus on. It looked like… the kitchen on the Destiny's Bounty. But, it was covered in dust. The floorboards were half-rotten beneath his feet, and anything metal had a fine layer of rust.

"Hello?" He called, cupping his hands around his mouth to project his voice. "Master Wu? Mom? Guys?"

"I don't know who you're talking to."

Lloyd spun on his heel to see Morro- Morro, Morro, wasn't he supposed to remember something about Morro?- sitting calmly at the kitchen table when he was sure no one had been there before. He was flipping disinterestedly through one of Kai's magazines that had faded with age. He didn't spare a glance at the Green Ninja.

"No one lives here anymore," the ghost continued, flipping the page. "Except you."

"What are you talking about?" Lloyd demanded, eyes narrowing. "What did you do to them?"

"I didn't do anything," Flip. "You did."

Lloyd recoiled, "Wha…?"

"You drove them away." Morro shrugged. "It was inevitable really. Daddy abandoned you not once, but _three_ times, and Mommy dropped you off at that school where nobody liked you. Everyone thought you were a pain before you became the Green Ninja, and everyone resents you now that you are."

Lloyd shut his eyes, because he was sure that thing he was supposed to remember would help him out right about now. If not, that meant… that meant he really did drive everyone away...

"Face it, Lloyd. I may live in the Cursed Realm, but you're the one that's cursed. To be so sad and lonely forever, because no one can stand you long enough to stick around."

Lloyd glared. "Then, why are _you_ here?"

Morro stood and flipped the magazine shut. Only now did he meet Lloyd's eyes. "Just wanted to see how pathetic you were." He turned away. "I wasn't disappointed."

The ghost began to walk away- until Lloyd's voice stopped him.

"You got it wrong, you know."

"Oh?"

"Morro doesn't live in the Cursed Realm anymore. He's in the Departed Realm, and so are we." Lloyd's eyes were ice. "Now let us out, Bone Keeper. You got what you wanted."

Morro blinked, actually _impressed_ , then smiled.

He snapped his fingers.

* * *

 **So, we learned a secret memory, fear, or desire from each ninja. I tried to make it clear which is which, but let me know if you're confused/hated the chapter altogether! :D**

 **Or, leave "Five Times" suggestions if you like!**


	13. Of Course She Is

**Hello, everyone! Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read my story!**

 **Special thanks to FropessionalWriter95, YinYangBroandSis, RandomDragon2.0, Ebony umbreon, ABCSKW123-IX, SnowNinjaAJ, DaStonekeeper, TheEvil4ssHole, Peanut2196, TheYellowNinja, Nali Nali Nalina, xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx, Drawkill Vear, RobinLost, rbrill345, and StoriesAreMagic for reviewing! I love you guys!**

 **And, A MILLION TIMES THANKS to SnowNinjaAJ for drawing me my wonderful profile picture based on Lost Soul AND my new cover for Five Times Kai Lost His Temper! I love them and they are amazing! :D :D :D Thank you so much!**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: Yay, I'm glad you liked the format I went with! I thought it would be new and exciting XD You did very well on the "quiz" so I hope you're not still confused! XD Thank you so much for reviewing and your LOVELY works of art! They're awesome!**

 **TheYellowNinja: Aw, thank you! (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ It was very heavy, so I'm glad that not only you liked it but your kitten too! What an honor! XD Morro's was simultaneously the most fun and most heartbreaking to write (;﹏;) Thank you so much!**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Oh my gosh, I cannot express to you how eloquently you summed each of their secrets! You got all of them perfectly right AND you caught the hint that, when they were not experiencing a memory, they could tell something was not quite right because the scene never happened! I'm sorry, but I'll have to torture Cole a *bit* more before the story's over XD But, I'm glad you liked Lloyd's epic Green Ninja moment! They could not see each other's secrets, but you're right in that all of them are going to be very "shook" now! XD Thank you so much for your review!**

 **rbrill345: Cole's is very sad (;﹏;) I'm glad you liked it, and thanks for your review!**

 **Enjoy! (Sorry it's another super long chapter XD)**

* * *

The Bone Keeper applauded as his seven customers were thrust back into reality and out of the illusions of their deepest darkest secrets. This was the best part: the reactions. Jay glanced back and forth guiltily, like he was afraid to get caught doing something bad. Nya had her arms crossed, a downright defiant expression on her face. Kai was jittery, shifting his weight and looking around frantically like he couldn't stand still. Cole was staring into space, almost as if he was still trapped in the illusion. Zane's expression was forcibly neutral.

"I must say, your secrets were _highly_ entertaining, even more than I expected they would be. And, I'm rarely wrong," he announced, still leaning against the desk as he had been before they began. In truth, the illusions had only lasted about a minute, though he knew they felt much longer to his victim- er, customer. "Especially yours Morro. It really adds a whole new level of depth to your character."

Said ghost was glaring a hole in him, fists trembling with barely contained rage. "You had no right to see that."

"You gave me that right when you broke my slot machines," he argued matter of factly, though his smile didn't drop.

"Give us what we came here for," Lloyd said, his voice a low growl.

"I am a ghost of my word," the Bone Keeper sighed, walking over to the bookcase on the left wall. He bumped Jay's shoulder as he moved, and the blue ninja shrieked.

"Jumpy, aren't we?" The Bone Keeper remarked. Over his shoulder, he said, "Don't worry. I won't tell them what you did."

He didn't have to turn around to know Jay had gone as pale as a sheet.

Searching for only a moment before finding the right enormous book, he pulled the volume out of the bookcase and brought it back to his desk. Sitting in his desk chair, he flipped directly to the correct page.

Then, he laughed.

"What?" Kai demanded harshly. "What is it?"

"You just paid for something you'll never get." The Bone Keeper shook his head regretfully. "It was the same with our last deal, Morro. I am sorry about that, by the way. I know how badly you wanted to find your parents."

The six ninja turned to look at Morro in shock. The ghost's eyes were wide, and the Bone Keeper was sure that if ghosts could blush, he would be as red as a tomato right about now.

The Bone Keeper mock-gasped. "Oh, shoot. Look at me being hypocritical. Saying a secret aloud."

"Just tell us where Cole's Soul Stone is," Nya barked, arms still crossed.

"Now, that's not very ladylike of you, sweetheart," the Bone Keeper fixed her with a disapproving look, and she narrowed her eyes, refusing to take the bait. "But, it is my end of the deal. Cole's Soul Stone has been claimed by Gem."

" _Gem_?" Morro repeated in disbelief.

The Bone Keeper nodded. "And, I hear she's quite fond of it. So, you see, you will never get it back. If I were you, I would cut my losses, return home, and _forget_ this thing ever happened. Wouldn't you agree, Zane?"

The nindroid's wince was barely noticeable, but it was there.

"C'mon, let's go, guys," Kai said, turning toward the door. "We have what we need from this jerk."

"That's not very nice, Kai." The Bone Keeper continued smiling though his tone was hurt. "You shouldn't say mean things. You may never get the chance to apologize."

The red ninja stormed out of the room. The others filed out after, some hurriedly, some subdued.

"Better hurry, Lloyd. Wouldn't want to get left behind!" The Bone Keeper called. Lloyd didn't respond but quickened his pace to get as far away from this cruel ghost as possible.

The Bone Keeper grabbed Cole's shoulder, stopping him while the others continued on, as he was the last to drift toward the doorway.

"Did you ever think that losing half your Soul Stone was punishment for killing your mother?"

Cole shut his eyes and yanked out of the Bone Keeper's grip before following his family down the stairs.

The Bone Keeper, never dropping his smile, shut his office door.

* * *

The bouncers showed them out.

"Okay, who is this Gem and why can't we get Cole's Soul Stone from her?" Kai urged Morro as they gathered in a loose group by the school bus.

"Where is Cole?" Jay asked before Morro could respond, voice nervously high-pitched. "He was right behind us! He was-"

The door to the casino opened once again, and Cole shuffled toward them.

When he arrived, he wouldn't meet their eyes. "I think we should go home, guys."

"Are you worried we can't do it or something?" Nya challenged. "We can definitely do it. I'll make sure we do."

"No, I just…," he shrugged helplessly. "It doesn't seem that important anymore."

"Of course it's important!" Jay protested, but his tone edged on hysteria. "You're important! You're- I- We could never hurt you, Cole!"

"If this is about your secret, Cole," Zane's voice was the most robotic they had ever heard it, and his gaze was steady. "It is cowardly to want to forget to spare yourself pain."

Cole shook his head. "I don't deserve all this."

Kai grabbed the front of his gi, jerking Cole back and forth. "Didn't I tell you to stop that?" The black ninja was little more than a doll in Kai's hands, and Kai shook him harder as if that would breathe life back into him. "We are _going_ to get your Soul Stone, and we are going _now_ , because if we don't we'll never get another opportunity to _save_ you, to say…," The red ninja trailed off but didn't release his brother.

Until Lloyd was there, pushing him back gently. "Okay, guys, I think we're all a little on edge tonight. The best thing we can do right now is sleep. We'll plan in the morning." He turned to Cole and grabbed his shoulders. "But, we are getting the Soul Stone. No ninja left behind, right?"

Lloyd's face crumpled slightly as he said it, and impulsively he transitioned from holding Cole's shoulders to hugging him, trembling ever so slightly.

Cole, as if realizing the Green Ninja needed the hug more than he did, came back to himself a little and put his arms around Lloyd. "Right," he said quietly.

"Wait, where's Morro?" Kai shouted, searching all about for the missing ghost.

"He is already on the bus," Zane stated, his voice strictly devoid of emotion. "He left fairly early in the conversation."

Lloyd pulled away from Cole. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but let's follow his example." He ascended the steps of the bus, and the others followed suit, except for Nya.

"Sis? You coming?" Kai asked, noticing Nya standing firmly in place as his brothers clambered up the steps.

"Ladies first is a stupid principle," is all she said.

"Um, okay," Kai responded but obediently climbed onto the bus. Only when she was the last one left did Nya join him.

They saw Morro lying on one of the bus benches, his back to them, and for once they decided not to antagonize him. Instead they all chose their own benches and laid down as well, using their cloaks as blankets and bent arms as pillows.

Except for Kai, who, in silent protest of this stupid plan to do _nothing_ instead of take _action_ , sat up and looked at his BorgPhone. He couldn't sleep even if he wanted to, and constantly refreshing his Chirper feed to see if there had been any updates at least helped him feel like he was actually doing something.

"Do you _mind_?"

Kai looked up to see Morro glaring at him from over the back of his seat. The red ninja was too impatient now to even walk toward the back of the bus, so he had chosen the next available seat, which was right behind Morro.

He questioned the wisdom of this decision as he met Morro's glare with one of his own. "What? What am I doing that could _possibly_ be bothering you?"

"The light." Morro pointed at Kai's phone. "You're making it hard to sleep."

Okay, so maybe the ghost had a point, but Kai wasn't about to admit that. If Morro wanted to fight, he'd fight. "You glow _constantly_. You don't see me complaining."

"I can't help it," Morro responded. " _You_ can. You don't have to use your… your… glowing, box thing."

Kai blinked, glancing back and forth between his phone and the ghost. "You seriously don't know what a cell phone is?"

"Cell… phone…?"

"It's a little device that lets you call or text people. On good ones you can get on the Internet, look at your Chirper account, play games…,"

Morro's face was utterly blank.

Kai didn't know what made him do it. Maybe it was the desire to move around. Maybe it was the secret and the fact that he was now acutely aware of fighting with people and not wanting to do something he might regret. Maybe it was Morro who had looked for parents that abandoned him. Like Kai's did.

"Here," the red ninja stood, shuffled out of his row and into Morro's, sitting on the bench beside the ghost who watched him suspiciously but didn't protest. "I'll show you."

He handed Morro the phone. Maybe for the same reasons Kai gave it to him, Morro accepted it, staring at it in awe.

"So, you use your finger to touch the thing you want to do, and it happens. Let's start simple with a game," he pointed at the app called _Sweet Smash_.

Morro glanced at Kai, as if trying to determine whether this was a trap or not, then touched the icon. He yelped when the introductory jingle played quietly and dropped the phone so it landed in his lap.

Kai raised an eyebrow, trying not to laugh. "You're a ghost with wind powers and _that's_ what freaks you out?"

"You're a fire ninja that's afraid of water?"

Kai pressed his mouth into a line. "Touché."

Hesitantly, Morro took up the phone again and held it up about a foot away from his face. "Now what?"

"Now you play the game. You try to match three or more of the same pieces in a row by swapping them with those around them. If you get enough points within the maximum amount of moves, you win the level." Kai explained.

Morro experimentally swiped his fingers along the screen then seemed intrigued when the two sweets switched places. He tried it again. And again. And again.

He gasped when he matched three sweets that subsequently disappeared and showed Kai the screen. "Ha! I did it."

The red ninja was unimpressed. "You have a few more matches to go before you win the level."

Once again, Kai struggled to contain his laughter as Morro slowly brought the phone closer and closer until it was an inch away from his face, completely engrossed in the game.

"Fine, you can play, but I'm going to want my phone back eventually."

Morro grunted without tearing his eyes away from the screen.

Meanwhile, Jay peeked over the edge of Cole's seat for the tenth time, having purposely picked the bench directly behind him. The ghost had his eyes closed - _was he breathing?_ Oh wait, ghosts didn't breathe- _then how would they know if he was alive_?

"Cole?" He whispered. "Are you awake?"

Cole turned on his side to face away from Jay. "No."

"Are you okay?"

"Sleeping people can't talk."

" _Cole_."

"Yes, I'm fine. Why?" Cole finally relented and sat up, leaning against the side of the bus. "Are _you_ okay?"

"Me?" Jay laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck and half hiding his face behind the bus seat. "Of course I am! Why do you ask…?"

Cole blinked. "Because you asked."

"Oh, right, haha…,"

"Is it about what you saw?"

"What?!" Jay screeched, eliciting several complaints from the other occupants that were attempting to sleep. Lowering his voice, Jay repeated, "What? Why would I be asking if you were okay because of what I saw? That would mean that what I saw had something to do with you, which it totally _did not_. Gosh, Cole, not everything's about you. Who are you? Kai?"

Cole was rubbing the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Look, Jay, I'm really tired, so…,"

"Ha, right, me too." As an afterthought, he added, "Sorry."

"No, it's fine, just… a lot on my mind, you know?"

Jay hesitated. "About your secret?"

Cole dropped his gaze to his hands and nodded. "I, um…," he clasped his hands together in his lap. "I saw my mom."

Jay's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He didn't know much about the earth ninja's mother; only that she was gone and that Cole didn't like to talk about her.

"Oh man, Cole…," he sighed sympathetically. "That must have been really hard."

Cole nodded again then turned to look up at Jay. "What did you see?"

"Um… mimes."

"Mimes."

"Yeah, I'm secretly afraid of them." He shrugged. "Who would have thought, right?"

Cole stared back at him, disbelief written clearly all over his face. "Yeah, Jay. Whatever." He moved so he was lying horizontally on the bench once again. "I'm sleeping now."

Jay cursed his stupidity. _Mimes_? He went and hurt Cole _again_ , because he made it seem like he didn't trust his best friend. He did- he really did- but what could he say? "I killed you and I am so so terrified that I subconsciously did it on purpose?"

He had to talk to someone.

Quietly getting up out of his seat, he hurried toward the back of the bus where Nya had chosen to set up camp. "Nya! I need your help-"

The water ninja sat up as he arrived at her bench, and she did _not_ look happy. "Oh, because you assume women are better at dealing with emotional problems than men?"

Jay stopped in his tracks, scratching his head. "No. I mean, yes? I mean- isn't that a _good_ thing?"

He knew that was the wrong answer when Nya sniffed and turned her head to look out the window. "It's the stereotype that hurts."

Before he could screw up any further tonight, he started backing away. "I'll just ask Lloyd."

He approached the Green Ninja's "bed" … and saw Lloyd lying on his stomach with his face pressed into his rolled up cloak to hide the fact that he was crying.

"Oh, Lloyd," he said, immediately forgetting his own problems. Zane, poking his head out from the seat in front of Lloyd, stood to join Jay in the aisle. Without a word passing between the two, they both squeezed into the seat and bodily readjusted Lloyd so he was sitting up, squished between them and looking miserable.

They didn't say anything.

Finally, Lloyd whispered, "You guys won't abandon me, right?"

"I once thought that would be easier." Zane looped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. "I now know that family is about staying together no matter what pain befalls us. So, no, Lloyd," he tightened his grip. "We could never abandon you."

Jay leaned on Lloyd to show his support, but he couldn't help but think about the time they _had_ abandoned each other, after they thought Zane had died. When he thought he hated Cole… he could remember the feeling like it was a physical thing. Maybe he had been remembering it when he pushed Cole that day. Had part of him been glad that Cole was gone?

He truly didn't know anymore, and that scared him more than a million mimes put together.

* * *

"Hey. Kai."

The red ninja started awake and had to immediately cross his eyes to focus on the phone Morro was holding approximately a quarter inch away from his face.

"Fix your fell sone. It's broken."

"It's called a _cell phone_ ," Kai corrected irritably, snatching the device out of the ghost's hand. Realizing it was now morning, he jabbed at the buttons on his phone… and confirmed it was dead. "Wait, are you telling me you played it _all night_?"

Morro sighed, looking at the phone like he was watching a doctor examine his sick infant. "I was _this_ close to beating it too."

"It was ninety percent charged when I gave it to you! You ran down the whole battery!"

Morro looked back at Kai uncomprehendingly. "Can you fix it or not?"

"I can 'fix' it," Kai grumbled. "You're _welcome_ , by the way."

The ghost stiffened so suddenly and so completely that Kai actually looked at him in concern. Morro turned his face toward the window and muttered something.

"What?"

"I said, _thank you_ ," Morro repeated shortly, crossing his arms. "Thanks for letting me play your stupid self loan, okay?"

" _Cell phone_ ," Kai corrected automatically, before realizing what actually happened.

Morro. Just. _Thanked_. Him.

"Um, it's no big deal," Kai continued, now staring at the ghost, who was determinedly not meeting his eyes, in wonder. "You can… play it again once it's charged- 'fixed.'"

Morro's eyes lit up like a kid's in a candy store before he coughed to cover it up. "Sure. I mean, if I have time. Or even want to. Which I probably won't."

Kai couldn't help it; he laughed. Because suddenly Morro didn't seem like _Morro_ , Master of Wind, possessor of Lloyd, unleasher of the Preeminent, but like Morro, socially awkward teenager who was now addicted to _Sweet Smash_.

"What?" The ghost demanded crossly. "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing," Kai reassured, shaking his head though a smile remained on his face. "Let's wake the others."

After everyone had woken up and relocated to the front of the bus, Zane began driving in the direction Morro directed him- on a narrow road through a series of sprawling canyons- while the ghost began explaining.

"Gem is… a ghost…," he said, leaning off his seat and into the aisle so all the ninja besides Zane could see him.

"No, she's a mermaid," Jay shot back. "Of course she's a ghost! We're in the Realm of the Departed!"

Morro made a face. "You're hilarious."

"It's one of my best qualities."

"Well, you won't be laughing when we get to Gem. She is… She's freaky, okay? Out of everyone in the Departed Realm, she owns the most souls."

"The _most_?" Lloyd repeated incredulously.

"She has thousands of souls. Some she uses as slaves. Others she just… _looks_ at. She collects Soul Stones and wears them like jewelry, the prettier the better. That's why we call her Gem," he grimaced. "I mean, even _I_ know that's a pretty messed up thing to do with a _person_."

"Okay, she sounds like a weirdo, but what about this makes her so unbeatable?" Kai asked flippantly, crossing his arms.

"She can be just as unbeatable as all the other male enemies we've fought!"

Everyone turned simultaneously to look at Nya, who was defending the bad guy. She ducked her head and crossed her arms sullenly.

"Well, it's _true_."

Morro continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "I hope you've noticed that some ghosts gain abilities after they die: Bansha had her shriek, the Soul Archer his bow, the Bone Keeper his… mind reading." Morro cleared his throat, and the others shifted uncomfortably at the reminder. "Gem is a master of mind control."

"Mind control?!" Cole repeated, echoing the shock and panic of everyone present.

Lloyd sighed, placing a hand on his head. "Of course she is."

"You go to make a deal with her, and you end up selling your soul. Or, if you can somehow resist her, you leave paying much more than you thought or buying much less than you wanted." Morro sat back, raising an eyebrow challengingly. "So, I hope you have a really good plan, Green Ninja."

"Well, not _yet_ ," Lloyd huffed. "But, there's one in the works, so… yeah."

"At least we know you have a pretty soul, Cole," Jay joked, patting the ghost's shoulder.

Cole rolled his eyes and replied sarcastically, "You're making me blush."

Nya spoke up, "Wait, I have a-"

Something slammed into the bus.

Everyone screamed as they were thrown to the right, the entire bus swerving- and nearly falling into the canyon- before it righted itself.

" _Zane_!" Lloyd yelled, half in chastisement, half in concern.

"Something hit us!" The nindroid replied, struggling to maintain control of the now severely damaged bus. "I-I didn't see- there wasn't anything there!"

"Oh no, no, no, no…," Morro whispered in disbelief, trying to hold himself upright with two hands clamped on adjacent bus benches. "She's supposed to be _asleep_."

Lloyd grabbed Morro's shirt. " _Who's_ supposed to be asleep?!"

The bus was hit again. Time seemed to move in slow motion as it tipped… and crashed onto its side, simultaneously smashing every window. The air was filled with the noise of breaking glass and screaming, and something very, _very_ heavy attempting to climb onto the bus, causing the metal exoskeleton to buckle under the weight.

"Zane?!" Kai yelled, noticing the driver's seat empty and the windshield shattered.

Before anyone could respond, the bus was shoved again and it started to lean precariously over the edge of the gorge. Through the windows now above them, they caught glimpses of legs, claws, a stinger…

The bus flew through the air- metal screeched as it was torn apart and crushed and they were falling, falling, falling-

Everything went black.

* * *

 **Oh dear. You knew with it being chapter number thirteen, it couldn't end well, right? XD**

 **Suggestions for "Five Times" are always welcome! ;D**


	14. Am I Going to Die?

**Thank you everyone for all the love and support! :D**

 **Special thanks to TheEvil4ssHole, YinYangBroandSis, RandomDragon2.0, xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx, musicalsaregood, Mikittrash, StoriesAreMagic, SpitfirewaterNinja, lol was up, SnowNinjaAJ, Nali Nali Nalina, Peanut2196, Ebony umbreon, TheYellowNinja, rbrill345, Drawkill Vear, ShinyShiny9, and Echo15 for reviewing!**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **lol was up: Haha, we'll see Zane this chapter! XD Thanks for your review!**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: Aw, I'm so happy to know that you're eager for the updates! :3 I'm also glad I succeeded in making you hate the Bone Keeper and like Morro! XD The Bone Keeper's comments definitely didn't help their own security or teamwork, and Nya now has a chip on her shoulder :/ Of course I love your art! Thanks again for letting me use it! Yeah, Jay said the same thing to get back at Morro for being mean to him earlier XD The seating order WAS: Zane driving, Morro in the first seat with Lloyd in the seat across the aisle, Cole and Jay in the seat behind Morro, and Kai and Nya behind Lloyd. (But, it was different when they were sleeping.) Feel free to ask random questions anytime! :D Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: I definitely wanted the Bone Keeper to get one more jab in at each of them before they left. They do a good job at putting on brave faces but... Aw, "amazing?!" (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ And, I'm glad I achieved "heart-wrenching mess!" XD I'm so happy you liked the part with Morro and the phone XD "Crippling Guilt and Horrible Secrets" just about sums it up. And, yes, with everything the ninja are currently experiencing and STILL going to experience... it's definitely bad :D Thank you so much!**

 **TheYellowNinja: What can I say? I couldn't resist a cliffhanger where they were ACTUALLY on a cliff. I love Morro as well, and I'm glad you liked the "fell sone." XD I'm SO SO happy you thought the reactions were realistic! :D We'll *hopefully* get back to Gem... eventually... Thank you so much! :D**

 **rbrill345: I loved writing the scene with Morro and the cell phone XD That seems to be everyone's favorite part of the last chapter! XD Thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **Echo15: The Bone Keeper is the worst :/ And, everyone's too stubborn to have a cuddle party, though I agree that would be the best solution XD The ninja are giant monster magnets! XD We'll find out what happened to Zane this chapter thankfully! :D "Perfect?!" You are too kind! (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ Oh my gosh, I LOVE your ideas for "Five Times" ESPECIALLY the one about Jay cheering people up! (I may very well do that one, but we'll see :D) Thank you so much!**

* * *

"Nya! Nya, wake up!"

The water ninja cracked her eyes open with a groan.

Cole was leaning over her, and he immediately sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness."

"What…?" She tried to sit, then gasped in pain when she put pressure on her arm.

"Don't move!" Cole warned her too late. "Your arm… it's broken."

She closed her eyes, letting her head fall against the ground again. "No…" She attempted to move it again, only to confirm Cole's hypothesis: it was definitely broken. Daring to look, she saw it bent at an unnatural angle, and she almost threw up. "What happened?" She asked instead to get her mind off the very, very sickening sight of her arm, closing her eyes once again.

"The bus was… attacked," Cole told her, perhaps also trying to distract himself from the gross reality of the damage done to her body. "I saw the whole thing. It was… It was a huge _scorpion_. Monster size. It ripped the bus apart, and we fell into the canyon, but I don't know where the others are…,"

Nya let that sink in, then opened her eyes again. "Okay, we have to find everyone else."

"But, your arm-"

"You're going to have to set the bone."

Cole's eyes widened. "Nya, I can't! What if I hurt you?"

"I can take it," the water ninja reassured, determined now more than ever not to show weakness. Her family needed her. "Please, Cole, just set it so it's straight. I can't leave it like this."

Cole swallowed, then nodded resolutely. He gripped her upper arm with one hand, the other hovering over her wrist. "Ready?"

"Yes. Just-" she stopped him just before he did it. "Be gentle. No super strength please."

Cole hesitated before untying the blue sash from around her waist, folding it over twice, and holding it up to her face. "Bite down."

She did so, shutting her eyes.

"On three. One. Two-"

Nya screamed.

* * *

Jay's head snapped up, hearing Nya's scream. He'd woken up inside the bus- well, _half_ of the bus. The huge scorpion creature had ripped their bus in half with barely any effort on its part and dropped it into the canyon. The front half of the bus was lying several hundred feet away, and everyone had been thrown out of it. Except for him. Because of course, by virtue of some undeserved miracle, he had come out of the accident unscathed. Sure he had a few cuts and bruises and a headache to boot, but if _Nya_ , one of the toughest people he knew, screamed like _that_ , she must have been really, really hurt.

Jay pushed himself into a standing position and half-stumbled, half-crawled out of the bus, grimacing as broken glass lacerated his skin. Closer to the "entrance" of the bus he could now clearly hear both Nya's and Cole's voices though they sounded as if they were coming from a distance.

Glancing about, he saw that the bus was leaning against an almost vertical rock wall, the top of which being where his friends' voices emanated from. He placed his hands and feet on the footholds he could-

"Jay…,"

It was the first time he'd ever heard Kai whimper.

He turned on his heel to see his brother caught _under_ the bus, his body from the waist down trapped by its gargantuan weight.

"Kai!" He shouted, rushing to the red ninja's side- then gasping in horror when he saw the blood pooling under him.

 _Just like his dream._

Kai was biting his lip so hard that he broke the skin, and the scarlet droplets stood out against his deathly pale face. He reached blindly for Jay, and the blue ninja grabbed his hand and squeezed it in response.

"Oh my gosh," he whispered, eyes wide as he took stock of the situation. Kai was trapped. He was bleeding. Jay didn't know what to do. He couldn't get him out. Jay was useless and unreliable and-

"Am I going to die?" Kai mumbled, face turned toward Jay though his eyes were squeezed shut in pain.

"What? No! Of course not!" He replied, though at this point he was afraid that… no, no, he couldn't kill _another_ one of his brothers- but the bus was too heavy, he couldn't get Kai out, he couldn't…

But, Cole could.

"I'll go get Cole, alright?" He said hurriedly to Kai, moving to stand-

Kai's hand tightened around Jay's in the the tough guy equivalent of " _Don't leave me._ "

"Okay, okay," he said. He tried in vain to quell his own panic, but he was pretty sure he only succeeded in scaring Kai more. Taking a deep breath, he called, "Cole! Nya! We need help! Kai's hurt!" His voice caught, but he repeated, "Kai's hurt bad!"

There was only a moment's hesitation before he heard, "Nya, just stay here! I'll get him. I promise."

Then Jay sagged in relief when he saw Cole sliding down the rock wall's face. The ghost took only one glance at Kai's inert body and Jay looking up at him pleadingly before crouching to get his hands under the bottom of the bus.

"Get ready to pull him out," is all he said before lifting with a pained grunt of exertion.

Jay hopped to his feet, and keeping his grip on Kai's hand and grabbing him under his other arm, barely managed to drag the dead weight of his brother out from the little space Cole had created.

Kai was free, and luckily it seemed that, while he had been trapped, most of the weight of the bus had not been resting on him. While Kai's legs and hips were whole and intact, now Jay saw that a huge gash was stretching across his stomach and blood was gushing from it - _so much blood_ \- and this was all really Jay's fault wasn't it so-

Vaguely, he heard the bus crash back to the ground, and then Cole was kneeling by Kai, pressing both hands to the wound even as he hissed in pain when the liquid touched him.

"Jay, give me your belt," Cole commanded as he untied the red sash from around Kai's waist. When the fire ninja whimpered again, Cole pat his head before returning both hands to his midsection. "You're going to be okay, Kai. You're going to be totally okay, and you're going to have a really cool scar to show off to all the girls."

A weak chuckle from Kai. "Yeah…"

Cole comforted his brother when Jay couldn't. He knew what to do when Jay didn't. He was able where Jay was _incompetent_. He helped when Jay could only hurt, hurt, _hurt_ those he loved, and now Kai was bleeding out like Cole was in that dream and it was Jay's fault and he couldn't even _do-_

"Jay!"

Jay's eyes snapped up to Cole's.

"Snap out of it! I need you here. Kai needs you here." His voice was level for his patient's sake, but his eyes betrayed the urgency of the situation.

Jay nodded.

"Good. Now, give me your belt, and go get Nya so she can wash out the wound." Cole ordered, still pressing both hands on Kai's stomach.

"Nya…," Kai muttered as Jay clumsily undid the knot in his belt and handed it to Cole. A sob caught in his throat, and tears leaked down his cheeks. "I want my sister."

"She's coming," Cole reassured soothingly, jerking his chin at Jay. The blue ninja pushed himself to his feet and hurried over to the ledge Cole came from- and gasped when he saw Nya had already slid halfway down it, struggling to steady herself with one hand while the other was supported in a makeshift sling fashioned from her blue sash.

"Nya!" He shouted, rushing to help her. "Your arm- what happened?!"

"It's broken," she replied matter-of-factly, ignoring the hand he offered her and stumbling the rest of the way to the ground on her own. "It doesn't matter. I can still manage. Kai needs me."

With that, she zoomed past him, pure water already pooling in her hand.

The next few minutes were some of the worst of Jay's life. Kai tried so hard to keep his composure, but no matter how gentle Nya tried to be, the water running over his open wound without the aid of a painkiller was agony. He screamed and cried while Nya apologized and Cole squeezed his hand and Jay sat by like a statue, pale, dumb, crying as he covered his ears to shut out Kai's screams…

Slowly he became aware of the fact that someone was hugging him and eventually he hugged Cole back, burying his face in his shoulder.

"It's over. Kai's alright."

He hesitantly raised his eyes to see Nya cradling her brother's head in her lap. Both Kai's and Jay's belts were tied tightly around the wound in place of gauze, but they seemed to be holding up.

"Sorry," Jay hiccupped, turning his face into Cole's shirt again. _Sorry I'm no good under pressure, sorry the blood makes me sick, sorry he looked too much like that dream, sorry I almost killed him, sorry I killed you, sorry I killed you, sorry I killed you, sorry-_

"It's alright," Cole tightened his grip on his brother. "But, I need to know if you're going to be okay."

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?"

Jay took a deep breath, nodding against Cole's chest. "Yeah."

"Guys?" Nya called, though she continued stroking Kai's hair. "Does anybody know where the others are? Zane, Lloyd, Morro? I didn't see anyone else."

Jay separated from Cole and shook his head miserably.

"We have to find them," the black ninja decided.

"How are we going to move Kai?" Nya asked, and the red ninja opened his eyes a slit at the mention of his name.

"I can walk," he insisted.

Nya whacked him very, very lightly on the shoulder. "Yeah, right," she said sarcastically, though she was beaming because Kai was well enough to make jokes.

"I'll carry him," Cole offered.

But, Jay couldn't help but think, even if Cole didn't get tired as a result of his super-strength, all that movement and jiggling couldn't be good for Kai's healing process, not to mention Cole needed to be ready to fight in case that giant scorpion monstrosity decided to return.

Searching about himself, he saw sand, rocks…, the carcass of the bus…

"I have an idea."

* * *

When Zane woke up, he was alone, on his back, being pecked by a bird.

"Ah!" He shouted and sat up, causing the bird to panic, though it flew and landed on a rocky mound and watched him curiously from a good distance away.

He checked himself over for injuries and confirmed that, other than a few small dents, one particularly large dent in his arm, and a small crack in the corner of his optical sensor that was more irritating than obstructive, he was fully operational. He scanned his immediate surroundings… and confirmed that, save the bird, he was utterly and completely alone, without a sign of civilization or _anything_ besides desert, let alone a person.

Struggling to recall the last moments of the incident before he passed out, he remembered catching only a glimpse of a monster. It was very clearly an arachnid with its eight huge legs, and the imposing stinger suggested it was a scorpion. He tried to analyze the scene to see if he could calculate his teammate's positions from how they'd fallen out of the bus, but it was no use. He had been sent careening through the windshield before any of his other friends had suffered the same fate.

He sighed, placing his head in his hands and trying to stifle the rising panic. He was totally out of his element here, and without even a clue as to where the others might be…

He started when he felt a tug on his sleeve and turned to see the bird right beside him now, cocking its head at him. Scrutinizing it at such close range, Zane realized it wasn't a vulture like he'd assumed in his first moments of wakefulness, but… a falcon.

He smiled, reminded of his own falcon. He reached out a gentle hand and the bird let him pet its head. "Hello, my friend. Are you lost too?"

The bird cooed in response and nuzzled his palm.

Zane realized that, unlike every other organism that was native to this realm, this falcon didn't look dead or ghostly in the slightest. Then again, it didn't look alive either. In fact, it looked almost _exactly_ like…

As if guessing Zane's thoughts, the falcon's chest plate shifted and slid out of place, revealing that it was, in fact, a robot.

A robot that his father invented.

Using its beak, it dug in its chest cavity until it grabbed a flash drive, and this it presented to Zane.

The nindroid held out his palm. The bird dropped the flash drive into it with a cheerful caw.

Reverently, Zane turned the flashdrive over and over again in his hands. "Thank you, my feathered friend." He said, patting the bird's head again.

He plugged the flash drive into the port in the back of his head.

And then caught his breath when his father appeared on the screen in front of his eyes.

"Hello, Zane!" Dr. Julien greeted cheerfully. He was wearing his usual lab coat and standing in a cluttered, _achingly familiar_ lab, speaking to the camera. "This is a pre-recorded message. If you are seeing this, that means you are… dead. I know, I know, it's a lot to take in, but it's really not so bad once you get here." He smiled warmly. "Besides, it means we will be together again."

Zane did not realize how much he wanted that until he saw his father, heard his father say those words.

"Everything's so disorganized here in the Departed Realm," Zane chuckled at the irony of the disdain, seeing the similarly disorganized environment his father was standing in, "so I've devised my own system to lead you to me. I've left several falcons stationed in the different areas of the Departed Realm to search for you whenever and wherever you may appear upon arrival. Once you are finished listening to this message, the falcon is programmed to guide you to my home. Or, should I say house?" He smiled, eyes shining with affection. "It will not be home until you get here."

Home.

Dr. Julien sighed, "The truth is I don't know if you'll ever receive this message. Since your consciousness is capable of being backed up on a separate hard drive, I don't know if you'll ever truly 'depart,' but… wherever you are, Zane, know that I am so proud of everything you have done and that I love you more than you could ever know. I hope to see you soon."

Zane sat still, completely frozen for a long time after the video disappeared from his field of vision. So long that the falcon pecked him a few times to urge him into motion.

Of course Zane had known that he was now in the same realm as his father, especially after reliving the time he had almost flipped his own memory to switch to forget the pain of losing him. But, it had been an abstract idea, a fleeting notion at best, because they were here to save Cole, not visit loved ones. Lloyd had not even mentioned Garmadon, nor Kai and Nya their parents, nor Cole his mother, so Zane had thought it best not to bring it up.

But, here was an _actual, physical_ tie to his father, a bridge connecting them and making that fleeting notion a…

Possibility.

Then again, his friends needed him. What if one of them was injured or _worse_? Besides, he could not leave them to wander aimlessly in the desert endlessly searching for him while he had gone gallivanting off toward his father. And, if Gem was as formidable as Morro claimed she was, then they would need all the help they could get to secure Cole's Soul Stone.

But, what his father had said in the video message troubled him. If Zane could never truly depart (and he had mulled this over in his head numerous times; exploding himself to defeat the Overlord and subsequently returning to "life" had left him with plenty of existential crises), then what if this was his last opportunity to see his father again… ever?

What if his father asked him to stay?

To rest, to put down the weight they had to carry on their shoulders, to stop putting everyone else in Ninjago before their own selfish desires. To get back all the time he had lost with his father. Isn't that what he wanted? Isn't that what almost drove him to forget?

He had been too scared to do it last time.

He gasped when he saw a firework go off in the sky at least a mile away. No… not a firework. Lloyd. Sending up a flare. Showing him where to go.

He dropped his eyes to the falcon waiting patiently.

* * *

 **Looks like Zane has a choice to make! And, what happened to Lloyd and Morro?**

 **"Five Times" suggestions are welcome! You know the drill by now. ;D**


	15. Shut Up, Morro

**Thanks everyone for reading! I simply cannot FATHOM the fact that this story has reached over TWO HUNDRED reviews?! You guys are the best!**

 **Special thanks to StoriesAreMagic, Tex1412, DarkRed101, TheEvil4ssHole, xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx, Guest, TheYellowNinja, MagicWords22, SpitfirewaterNinja, Peanut2196, SnowNinjaAJ, Ebony umbreon, rbrill345, Nali Nali Nalina, Guest, Morro and More, and Star for reviewing! You guys will never know how happy you make me! (#^.^#)**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **Guest: Poor Kai and Zane** **(;﹏;) We'll get back to them eventually XD Thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **TheYellowNinja: Zane has a lot of pressure on him right about now! We'll see Morro and Lloyd this chapter! :D "Envious?" Once again, you are WAY too kind! (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ Thank you so much! :D**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: I'm glad to hear it was painful XD Applause?! Stop! (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ We'll see what Zane decides to do... eventually ;D Everyone is definitely in a bad spot XD Sorry you had to wait, but that makes the chapter so much sweeter when it arrives! ... right? *sweat drop* XD A comic strip!? Oh my gosh, now I'm excited again! Thank you soooooo much!**

 **rbrill345: Here's Lloyd and Morro for you! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Plenty of suffering for everyone to go around! XD Kai is in a lot of pain, but at least everyone is there for him! :D And, Cole is always looking out for Jay :D Wow, that is a super good theory about Gem! We'll see... ;D Zane is definitely in a lot of turmoil right now, so we'll have to wait and see what he finally decides to do... We'll see Lloyd and Morro this chapter! Thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **Guest: Keep in mind that Dr. Julien thought Zane wouldn't be watching that video unless he was already dead, so not quite so morbid XD Haha, we'll see Lloyd and Morro this chapter, but I think you hit the nail directly on the head XD I inspire you? I don't think I can explain to you well enough how much that means to me! :D Thank you so so much for your lovely review!**

 **Star: Yes, that would be bad... as we'll see this chapter ;D Thank you so much!**

* * *

"It's not going to work."

"Shut up, Morro."

"What if they're unconscious? Or _dead_?"

"Shut _up,_ Morro."

Lloyd finished building up the ball of concentrated energy in his hands and sent it into the sky, hoping beyond hope that his brothers and sister would see it, _could_ see it…

"And, you can't even summon your dragon," Morro jabbed from where he was lounging on a particularly large and flat rock, shielding his eyes from the sun.

"Neither can _you_ ," Lloyd defended self-consciously. It was true; the encounter with the titanic scorpion had shaken him too much to be able to summon his elemental dragon, and he could only assume the same held true for the others.

 _If they were even alive._

"Well, I'm not the _Green Ninja_ , now am I?" Morro retorted, but the tone was mocking instead of bitter and Lloyd honestly couldn't decide which one he preferred.

Lloyd groaned, stalking toward the relaxing ghost. "Out of all the people on that bus, I could have been stuck with anyone, _anyone_ , and of course it had to be you. Just my luck."

"You don't see me doing any backflips to be stuck with you."

The Green Ninja narrowed his eyes, pointing accusingly at the ghost, "Have you forgotten that it's your fault we're in this mess? That my family could be hurt because you led us through a desert that was inhabited by a _giant scorpion_?"

Morro huffed in frustration, "I told you, scorpions are _nocturnal_. That means they sleep during the day," the ghost clarified condescendingly. Lloyd rolled his eyes but didn't give Morro the satisfaction of interrupting. "It's completely safe to drive in these canyons as long as it's light outside- unless someone woke her up on purpose."

"A trap?" Lloyd checked with hands on his hips.

"I bet it was Gem. She probably struck a deal with the Bone Keeper to let her know if and when we were coming. We walked right into it."

"You mean, you walked us right into it."

Morro narrowed his eyes, sitting up. "You know, I did get us this far. A thank you wouldn't kill you."

" _Thank you_?" Lloyd repeated incredulously.

"You're welcome." Morro replied cheekily.

Lloyd shook his head, gritting his teeth. " _Enough_ , Morro. Cut the crap."

The ghost crossed his arms, smirking. "Oh, yeah? And what, pray tell, crap am I supposed to be cutting?"

"That. That whole flippant, 'I don't care about anything or anyone' attitude."

Morro shrugged in response. "It's not crap. I _don't_ care."

Lloyd shook his head, adopting a smirk of his own now that he was gaining steam. "I think you do. I think you care so much, it _hurts_."

Morro pushed himself to his feet so he and Lloyd were standing face to face. "You-"

"You think you can read me like a book, but I see right through you," Lloyd continued. "Now that you've lost your precious Preeminent, your allies, your _purpose_ , you're just a scared, lost little kid again. You looked for your parents and couldn't find them, so now you want to think of _us_ as some surrogate family."

Morro had gone pale. He was trembling with rage as he glared at Lloyd. "I don't want to be a part of your stupid family. All I asked for was a thank you. You would've been dead in the water the minute you got here if it wasn't for me. I've _helped_ -"

Lloyd scoffed, "For a price."

The ghost couldn't contain himself any longer and shoved Lloyd hard in the chest. "You want to know what that price is?

"Your forgiveness."

He revelled in Lloyd's shock even as he was mortified that he'd finally admitted it out loud. Knowing the Green Ninja's gentle nature, Lloyd would soften and tell him that _of course_ he-

The slap was as loud as a gunshot. Morro hadn't even had time to turn himself intangible, and Lloyd's hand left his cheek stinging.

"You don't buy forgiveness. You earn it."

The ghost was shaking, his face still turned in the direction Lloyd had forced it. "I'm _trying_."

"You don't get it, do you?" Lloyd backed up a step in disbelief, and Morro met his eyes, finally looking for all the world like a scared, lost little kid. "You possessed me and made me fight my family, you almost destroyed my home, you forced to me to _kill_ my _father_ ," Morro cringed in shame at the wetness in Lloyd's eyes.

"I will _never_ forgive you."

Lloyd held his gaze for a tense moment. Morro looked away first.

The Green Ninja turned away in disgust and started walking. "C'mon. Let's find higher ground."

Morro swallowed before wordlessly following Lloyd, keeping his eyes trained on his feet.

It was absolutely silent as they climbed a rock hill that was about twenty feet off the ground, and Lloyd sent two more balls of energy into the sky.

The absolute silence was probably the only reason they heard the rumbling.

Morro gasped and grabbed Lloyd's arm. "You idiot! You're leading her right to us!"

Lloyd looked all about for the monster that was seemingly absent, even as he was almost thrown off his feet by the massive vibrations of _something's_ approach. "Where?! I don't see anything!"

"Scorpions can _burrow_! Read a book once in a while!"

Just as Lloyd was about to retort with some scathing remark about the uselessness of arachnid trivia, the colossal scorpion monster burst out of the ground with a roar.

Both elemental masters were immediately on the defense as the scorpion circled, naturally moving to stand back to back without a thought to the hatred harbored between them. Now that Lloyd could get a clear view of her, he saw that, unlike the Morro and the other ghosts here, she appeared to be solid. She was at least the length of one and a half school buses and thirty feet tall, her claws snapping at just about eye level. He cringed at the sight of the stinger, knowing venom pulsed through its bulbous body.

When she lunged, Lloyd blasted her with his energy. The arachnid recoiled but shook it off, as if it were only a bug bite as opposed to a dose of the Green Ninja's element.

"Her armor's too thick," Morro threw over his shoulder just as she moved to try lunging at the ghost. He summoned winds equivalent to that of a tornado to blow her away. The scorpion stumbled and screeched, but the same aerodynamic exoskeleton that protected her from Lloyd's blast also deflected most of Morro's wind. "You'll have to aim for the legs."

"Why are you even helping?" Lloyd snapped. "She can't hurt you."

"Actually, monsters that are native to the Departed Realm _can_ hurt me, smart guy. Of course it's only temporary, but-"

They dove out of the way of the claws lunging toward them, then reassumed their positions when she backed up to regroup.

Listening to Morro's advice, Lloyd aimed a blast of energy at one of the eight legs supporting her weight. She moved so her impervious body absorbed the hit instead.

"Oh, c'mon!" Lloyd shouted.

Morro directed his wind so it blew up from beneath her, hoping to toss her completely off her feet. The scorpion squealed once again but dug her legs into the ground and hunkered down until she was completely still, rendering Morro's wind useless.

"I can't believe I'm saying this,". Lloyd sighed as he flipped in the air to avoid another swing of her claw. "But, we're going to have to work together."

"Oh, _now_ you want my help," Morro grumbled with only half the bite of his usual snarky comments. "I'm listening."

"Make like you're going to attack her, but just knock her off balance so she can't defend her legs. Then I'll blast them."

"Yoo hoo! Over here, Scorpy!" Morro called, waving enthusiastically. The arachnid, immediately drawn to the movement, jabbed a claw in the ghost's direction, only to be blown from the left by all of the wind power at Morro's disposal. The scorpion screeched as she was forced to shift all of her weight to her four right legs, leaving her left flank exposed.

Lloyd's energy exploded the two front legs on her left, completely severing them from her body. She screamed in pain as toxic green goo surged forth from her two amputated limbs and thrashed about blindly.

"Ew…," Morro muttered.

"Again!" Lloyd ordered, and the ghost complied, this time aiming the wind at her right side. She tried to balance her weight on her two remaining left legs- but crashed to the ground when Lloyd destroyed her two front right legs.

The scorpion's ectoplasm now coated the sand, and she could do nothing but bleat weakly as she died. Lloyd actually felt a little bad for the creature, but turned his back to her to face Morro.

"I hate to admit it, but we actually make a pretty good team," the Green Ninja conceded.

And Morro was positive he was about to go on to retract his last statement before the scorpion had reappeared about never forgiving him and make some inspirational speech about how no one is ever too far gone- at least, that's what he hoped was about to happen.

But, then in slow motion he saw the stinger of the giant scorpion descending toward them, the monster's last ditch effort to wreak vengeance upon her prey. Lloyd's back was to it. It would pierce him, run him through, before he even realized what had happened.

Morro didn't think.

He threw himself on top of Lloyd, tackling him to the ground- and screamed when the stinger tore into his back.

For a split second after Morro landed on top of him, Lloyd was terrified that the ghost was trying to possess him again, that all of that "I just want forgiveness" stuff really had been just a distraction- and then he screamed in pain, and Lloyd watched, upside down, as the scorpion's stinger retracted before falling limp to the ground now that its owner was finally dead.

Morro… _saved_ … him?

He scrambled out from underneath Morro and lifted his shirt so he could see the extent of the damage that was done, causing the ghost to cry out in pain. "Oh no, oh no, I'm screwed, I'm screwed…,"

The Green Ninja almost laughed- whether in mockery or relief, he couldn't be sure. "It's just a flesh wound, Morro. She barely scratched you!" There was a thin slash stretching diagonally across Morro's back, sickly green ectoplasm leaking out of it, but it wasn't deep at all and certainly not deserving of such a reaction.

"Not the wound, you numbskull!" Morro insulted before clenching his fists and gasping in pain, his whole body going tense. He barely managed to force out, "Venom."

Lloyd's hands hovered uselessly over Morro's back, completely at a loss. He wasn't sure he would know what to do if this had happened in Ninjago, but he was clueless when it came to ghost first aid. "Wait, ghosts can't die! We're already in the Realm of the Departed!"

"Not dead…," Morro mumbled, resting his cheek against the ground as if a bout of sleepiness had suddenly overtaken him. "Vulnerable." He laughed a bitter, nearly hysterical laugh before returning to a peaceful, half-asleep state. "And I'm just a scared, lost little kid with no one to… sitting duck… take advantage…," he trailed off.

Lloyd watched Morro uncertainly for a little while after that, half-worried that this was a prank and Morro was going to grab him and scare the living daylights out of him. When the ghost didn't move at all except for incoherent mumbling to himself, proving he was still somewhat conscious, Lloyd decided he must have been telling the truth: the venom didn't kill ghosts but apparently left them too weak to defend themselves.

And, Lloyd found himself with a choice.

He could leave Morro here. No one was around to know what he had done. He could find the others, tell them he hadn't seen Morro after the bus crash, and all of them could conclude that he must have bailed on them, or that leaving them victim to the giant scorpion had been his plan all along. Morro would be easy pickings for whatever ghost stumbled upon him and get tricked into owing someone a thousand favors or selling his soul, which is what Lloyd assumed Morro was afraid of if not death. That seemed sufficient payment for all the chaos Morro had caused, for all of the torture he'd forced Lloyd to endure, for his _father_ …

But, Morro had saved him. Sacrificed himself to save Lloyd from a similar fate, or a more deadly one if the venom killed humans. And, even if he could never bring himself to give it to him, Morro had asked for forgiveness.

Lloyd sighed.

"I'm such a sucker."

* * *

 **So... what do you guys think? Should Lloyd forgive Morro now or not? I'd love to hear your opinions!**

 **"Five Times" suggestions are... open. Shocker. XD**


	16. Jealous

**Thank you, everyone, for all the love you've shown my story!**

 **Special thanks to: RandomDragon2.0, Spottedfrost7, TheEvil4ssHole, StoriesAreMagic, rbrill345, SpitfirewaterNinja, MagicWords22, Drawkill Vear, Tex1412, Morro and More, Crystal-Lark, Peanut2196, Ebony umbreon, RobinLost, xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx, TheYellowNinja, SnowNinjaAJ, Star, Guest, DancingQueen1285, and Nali Nali Nalina for reviewing! I love you guys! :3**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **rbrill345: Yes, very sad :( But, thanks so much for your review! XD**

 **TheYellowNinja: I have a soft spot for Morro too :3 We'll see what Lloyd decides to do! ;D Of course! I love replying to reviews and yours are always too kind! (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ Thank you so much!**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: I definitely agree about that there are clear similarities between Morro and Lloyd. If Lloyd can agree is a different story XD Morro worked so hard, but... :( Aw, why wasn't the chapter your style? Hopefully this one's more your cup of tea! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Star: Aw, thank you! (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ We'll see if Lloyd can bring himself to even half-forgive Morro XD Thank you so much for your review! :D**

 **Guest: Honestly, I didn't mean to put a Moana reference in there, so I'd love to hear what it was! XD XD XD Morro could definitely never shut up! :D Thank you so much for your review! :D**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Aw, you are too kind! (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ Lloyd is definitely a sucker XD And, I am so happy you think the decisions are sufficiently hard to make! That's definitely a complaint I have with any kind of story! We'll see if Morro can eventually earn that forgiveness, but ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ Thank you so much! :D**

* * *

"I feel silly."

"You've been saying that for the past mile, and nothing's changed."

"I still feel silly."

Nya rolled her eyes at her injured brother. Her brother who was currently lying on the makeshift vehicle they had cobbled together from the remains of the bus. It was a bench fused to four wheels, two on either side, with a little help from Kai's fire, which Cole was currently pushing. It was wobbly and unstable, but it rolled and prevented Kai from putting unnecessary stress on his wound. It did not, however, do anything for Kai's image, which the fire ninja was sure to remind them of every ten feet.

"No, all of Kai's whining is helping the time pass," Cole argued.

"See? Wait- it's not _whining_ …,"

As the two proceeded to bicker, Nya glanced at Jay. Their spirits had lifted considerably after they had spotted Lloyd's flare, meaning at least one of their family members was alive, not to mention giving them an actual destination. And yet, the blue ninja had been uncharacteristically quiet.

"What's wrong, Jay?" She asked, nudging the master of lightning with her unbroken arm.

Jay jumped, apparently lost in thought, then shrugged, not meeting her eyes. "Just worried about your arm."

Nya pursed her lips. "Why would you be more worried about me than Kai? He's more hurt than I am."

Jay, realizing he messed up _again_ , cleared his throat, "I'm worried about both of you."

The water ninja, perhaps recognizing that what Jay needed now was not a lecture on gender equality, placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tell me what's up."

Jay sighed before asking, "Do you like me?"

Well, that was a loaded question and very possibly a trap. "Of course I like you."

"But you like Cole better, right?"

Nya furrowed her brow. "I thought you guys had put this to rest."

Jay cocked his head in confusion before his eyes widened with realization, and he waved his arms frantically. "No, no, not romantically- well, not necessarily romantically- but just, you know, as a person. Cole's better than me at everything."

Nya gaped. "Better than you at everything? Whose idea was it to make a little car for Kai? Cole might have you beat in brute strength, Jay, but your mind is incredible!" She softened when she saw that Jay didn't look convinced. "Have you talked to him about feeling this way?"

"No!" Jay shouted quickly, causing Kai and Cole to look up. They returned to their own conversation when they saw it was just Jay being spazzy again rather than a real emergency. "I mean… I can't. Because, it's not his fault and then he'll think I resent him and then he might think that I pushed him that day…,"

It took her a moment to finish the sentence. "What, on _purpose_?" She eyed him warily. "Did you?"

"Of course not!" He replied, but his eyes were anxious… guilty. "I mean, maybe? But, only subconsciously! If I did- I don't know, that illusion the Bone Keeper showed me made me start to question what really happened that day. I didn't think I did it on purpose, but maybe…,"

Nya sighed in relief and grabbed his hand. "Jay, you're doing what you always do and overthinking everything. You and Cole are best friends. You're brothers. And, you are not the type of person to hurt your brother intentionally. It's just not who you are."

Jay looked away and pulled his hand out of Nya's. "Yeah…,"

The water ninja frowned and was about to try to further convince him- when Cole shouted, "Lloyd!"

Nya and Jay both looked up with elation (Kai could not sit up without hurting himself, but tried to anyway) to see a figure wearing a green gi hurrying toward them and waving. When he got closer, they could just make out… _Morro_ draped over his shoulders in a fireman's carry?

When Lloyd joined them, he gave them each one armed hugs, the other hand supporting his charge. They reciprocated the hugs but could only ogle the strange sight of their brother actually carrying his most hated enemy.

Lloyd started when he got to Kai and squeezed his brother's arm tightly. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'll live," Kai answered absentmindedly, eyes fixated on Morro. "Is _he_ going to be okay?"

Cole interrupted, glancing about. "Wait, Zane wasn't with you?"

"No, just me and _him_ ," Lloyd replied with disdain, gesturing at the ghost on his shoulders. "He didn't end up with you four?"

"We'll find him. He's probably on his way here now." Kai reassured. "But, I _have_ to know what happened with Morro."

Lloyd sighed, finally relaxing and letting the dozing Master of Wind slide off his shoulders and to the ground with a little help from Jay. "We had another run in with the scorpion. We killed it, but not before Morro got stung. He said it wouldn't kill him, but it would leave him weak and vulnerable, so…," he waved an exasperated hand in the ghost's direction.

Morro, now lying face up on the ground, smiled drowsily and mumbled, "Seventy seven thousand six hundred forty one cups of tea on the wall…,"

Lloyd covered his ears, turning away with a groan, "And, he's been singing _that_ nonstop! Not even the whole song either; just that one line! The number never changes!"

"It would be interesting to discover why Morro has fixated on that particular number," Zane commented.

"Yeah…," Cole agreed- before everyone jumped ten feet in the air and turned to stare at the nindroid who seemed to appear out of nowhere. "Zane?! How- where-"

Zane held up a finger and replied sagely, "A ninja never reveals his secrets."

Then, everyone tackled him in a group hug, except Kai, who could only squeeze his arm from his supine position on the bus bench, and Morro, who grumbled, "I knew he was there the whole time."

"Oh, did you now?" Nya smirked, placing her good hand on her hip.

Morro scoffed, "Duh. That's what I've been trying to tell you! They come from underground! But, does anybody listen to me? Nooo!" The ghost turned to lie on his side and crossed his arms, appearing very hurt. "Serves you right!"

"Does anybody know what he's talking about?" Jay asked, scratching his head.

"Nope."

"Not a clue."

"Negatory."

"So, what's the plan, Lloyd?" Kai asked, peering up at the Green Ninja who was still hovering worriedly over him. "Especially now that our guide is… well, that."

"He's the _worst_ ," Morro confirmed.

Lloyd rolled his eyes at the ghost. "It's the same as before. We follow the road out of the desert. Hopefully by the time we get there, Morro will have come to his senses."

"Did he lose them?" Morro asked innocently.

"Yes," Cole answered, bending down to pat their incapacitated guide on the head. "Yes, he did."

Morro's face lit up and he shot forward, wrapping his arms around Cole's neck, causing the earth ninja to yelp with surprise. "You're my _favorite_ now!"

Cole sputtered, Jay frowned, and the others tried to contain their laughter. "Favorite?"

Morro looked over his shoulder and stuck his tongue out at the Green Ninja. "Ha, so take that, Lloyd."

At the curious glances he received, Lloyd grabbed the back of neck and looked away. "We may have had a small argument before meeting up with you guys."

"Small?" Kai raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Okay, semi-big. But we killed the scorpion!"

"Well, it was inevitable really with the two of you being together," Nya conceded, shielding her eyes and looking toward the sky. "But, we should probably get started to use up whatever sunlight is left."

"Man, she's _good_ ," an impressed Morro whispered to Cole, who was still trying to pry himself out of the ghost's grasp.

Zane held back a little as he watched his family begin to walk in the direction they had been heading in before the scorpion ever struck with Lloyd pushing Kai and Cole resorting to simply lifting Morro off the ground, much to the wind master's delight. Sighing, he looked back in the direction he had come from. He had sent the falcon back with a message of his own overwriting the video on the flash drive. He tried to take comfort in those words now, even if they would never fill the hole his father's loss had left in his chest.

 _I am still needed here, Father, by those whom I love very much. One day, though, we_ will _see each other again, and we will have our home back._

 _That is a promise._

* * *

"In conclusion, asparagus is _the_ most horrible thing to be invented on the planet, and we should just, like, get rid of it," Morro explained.

"Why is it bad again?" Cole asked the ghost he was currently carrying piggy-back style, half to keep Morro entertained and half to keep his own thoughts off… darker subject matter.

"Because it's _green_!" Morro shouted, rapping his knuckles against Cole's head as if he could literally knock some sense into him. "The same color as stupid, mean, old Lloyd," he elaborated, shooting a glare in the Green Ninja's direction, who rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time. The sun was low in the sky now, and, if they squinted, the group could _just_ make out a blotch of green on the horizon, signalling the end of their desert trek- or it was a mirage and they were all going insane. Either way, they had been walking a long time.

Jay sidled closer to the ghost pair. Having discussed the matter with Nya, he supposed it wouldn't _hurt_ to at least try _talking_ to his best friend. Also, listening to Morro babble on about whatever he could think up to Cole was getting on his nerves. "Um, Cole?"

"Yeah?" The earth ninja replied, turning to glance at Jay.

Suddenly, Morro buried his head in Cole's shoulder, dry-sobbing.

"Hey, what's the matter?" The black ninja asked, nudging the other ghost. Jay furrowed his brow, because it sounded like… real concern in Cole's voice. Cole probably couldn't help using his "big brother" tone when someone was crying, but to _Morro_? It was… weird, Jay decided. Definitely weird.

"I hate green now…," Morro tried to explain through his blubbering. "But, _I'm_ green!"

Cole was biting his lip, trying to keep from cracking up. Jay didn't think it was amusing anymore. Just annoying. Once Cole was sure he was composed, he reassured Morro. "But, what about all the bad stuff that is green? Asparagus, broccoli, celery, um…, snot…,"

Morro brightened, tightening his grip on Cole, "Yeah, you're right! We should just, like, get a big monster or something."

"Yeah…," the black ninja agreed, sure those two thoughts were related somehow even if he couldn't see the connection.

Jay scoffed, "What about the green streak in your hair?"

Morro face paled, and he threw his arms in the air, shrieking, "It's a conspiracy! I've gone too deep! Have _mercy_ …," and he dissolved into incomprehensible weeping.

Cole glared at Jay before wincing at the volume of Morro's panic in his ear. "Thanks," he said sarcastically then proceeded to try to calm his charge down. The blue ninja sheepishly ducked his head but also felt strangely gratified with knowing he wound up Morro like that, even though that was completely illogical.

Once Morro was only quietly murmuring to himself rather than bawling uncontrollably, Jay suggested, "You know, someone else could carry him. You've done more than your fair share, Cole."

The ghost shrugged and Morro giggled. "He doesn't weigh that much. Besides," he smirked, "he's actually pretty funny when he's hopped up on scorpion venom."

"Jay? Yeah, I guess he's okay," Morro agreed, nodding righteously. "Not very hoppy though."

"See? You're not hoppy." Cole repeated, laughing.

Jay threw his hands up. "What does that even mean?!"

Morro turned away, crying without tears once again. "He _hates_ me!"

Cole groaned, "Now, look what you did!"

Jay rubbed his hands over his face in exasperation before finally stomping away, "Ugh, fine, whatever! Continue with your little party!"

After Jay had left, Morro rested his head on Cole's shoulder, "Why does he hate me?"

"Jay doesn't hate you," Cole said distractedly, though he was a little worried himself at his best friend's strange behavior as he watched the blue ninja storm off.

"Not the buzzy one!" Morro corrected. Cole tried to figure out where the nickname came from- Jay's lightning? His motor mouth made him sound like he was buzzing?- but the ghost on his back said quietly, "Lloyd."

Cole bit his lip, caught between honesty and preventing a complete meltdown. "I think it's probably because of what you did to him, Morro," he said as gently as possible.

The ghost pouted, fidgeting with Cole's gi. "Make him stop."

"I can't," Cole replied, awestruck by this new, dare he say… _remorseful_ Morro? Surely it was just the venom talking, right? Besides, he probably would remember none of this conversation when he was lucid again. "Only Lloyd can do that."

Morro tugged on the collar of his gi, making Cole choke. "I _said_ that! How do I make him stop?"

The black ninja, keeping one hand under Morro, used the other to rub his (bruised) neck. "You can start with apologizing."

"Apo- _what_ \- izing?!"

Cole sighed. "This is going to be a long day."

Meanwhile, Jay was fuming from where he was now walking beside Zane, watching the two ghosts' exchange with a murderous expression on his face. Lloyd was rolling Kai's cart along with Nya beside him toward the front of the procession.

"Can you believe that guy?!" He complained to Zane, waving frustratedly at Morro.

Zane pat his shoulder reassuringly. "There's no need to be jealous, Jay."

The blue ninja rounded on him, eyes bugging out of his head. "Jealous? I am _not_ jealous."

Zane cocked his head, slightly confused. "All of your behavioral patterns coincide with envy. It makes perfect sense: you believe that something irreparable has been broken between Cole and yourself, and you crave the tenderness and attention Cole is showing Morro in his more vulnerable state. It is similar to dogs resenting new puppies brought into their household, or perhaps when a younger sibling is born, diverting the parental figures' attention from the older child."

Jay blinked, distantly wondering if it was better to be a whiny dog or a bratty kid. "You're making it sound weird." He chastised, and in that way also admitted that Zane was _maybe, a little bit_ right. Then, he sighed, dropping his gaze to the ground. "But, I guess irreparable is a good way to describe it."

He started when he felt the nindroid's arm wrap around his shoulders. "You are the only one who thinks so. Each of us, even Kai, has forgiven you, especially considering everything you have done to make up for pushing Cole that day." He smiled. "And, Cole never blamed you in the first place."

Jay sighed. "Is it weird that Cole forgiving me so easily makes me feel more cruddy?"

"No." Zane shook his head. "Because the guilt he might have given you has only been reappropriated _by you_ , Jay. What needs repairment is not between you and Cole but inside yourself."

Jay stared open-mouthed at the ice ninja for several moments. "You're very wise, Zane." He rubbed his forehead tiredly. "We'd be lost without you."

Zane nodded wordlessly, unable to speak. He supposed that, if he was going to accept the burden of being needed by Ninjago, feeling needed by a family, by a brother, was not so bad a trade.

* * *

 **Yay! They're all together again! But, Morro is... incapacitated...**

 **Though I'm not sure how quickly I'll be able to write them with school starting again, feel free to leave "Five Times" suggestions! (Don't worry: Lost Soul updates will not be affected :D)**


	17. Cardboard Box

**Once again, THANK YOU to everyone reading, reviewing, alerting, and favoriting!**

 **Special thanks to LunaMoons, rbrill345, SweetHeart114, RandomDragon2.0, Peanut2196, SpitfirewaterNinja, Ebony umbreon, TheYellowNinja, Star, Guest, SnowNinjaAJ, xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx, YinYangBroandSis, StoriesAreMagic, Morro and More, Nali Nali Nalina, and ABCSKW123-IX for reviewing!**

 **rbrill345: Very true, and this chapter we'll see a bit more of "sad, high Morro."** **(;﹏;) And, I'm glad you liked the Morro-Cole bonding! XD Thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **TheYellowNinja: Yay! I'm happy you thought Morro was funny XD Zane is so selfless! At least he knows his family loves him (;﹏;) Oh my goodness, your comments were so incredibly nice. I was kind of having a hard time when I read your review, and your words made me so happy and really brightened my whole day! You are so kind, and I hope you know how much your reviews mean to me!**

 **Star: Haha! I'm so glad to hear you laughed out loud! I had a ton of fun writing Morro like that XD Thank you so much for your review!**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: Yay! I'm so happy it made you laugh! XD Full team again, and we're *close* to a setting change ;D And, about last chapter, I see. Sorry you thought it was off! I always figured that Lloyd is a very gentle and understanding guy, but toward Morro he just can't keep his anger in check. But, I'm always glad to hear constructive criticism :D Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: I'm glad you thought Morro was funny XD And, we'll see Lloyd not being so fine with the others being nice to Morro this chapter ;D Jay is mostly worried about hiding it from Cole, and he figures he can talk to Nya. Zane is definitely trying not to be sad about missing out on the chance to see his father (;﹏;) Morro's nonsense was so fun to write XD Thank you so much for reviewing!**

* * *

Just before the sun set, they reached the jungle.

It was things like this that reminded the ninja that they were in the Departed Realm instead of an unfamiliar part of Ninjago, odd details that stuck out. For example, here, the desert ended at a straight line, and jungle started immediately after- no gradation, no intermediary state. It was as if two climates had been pushed up against each other, or perhaps layered on top of one another. Even the air just within the jungle's perimeter was significantly more humid than the desert air mere feet away.

Asking Morro why this was though had the ghost launching into a lecture about endangered rainforests, and they did not receive an answer to their question.

Now, they were gathered around a fire, courtesy of Kai. They had decided to camp at the edge of the desert rather than actually inside the jungle. Understandably, they did not want to sleep on the jungle's floor where the scorpion's smaller spawn or other ghostly abominations (that Morro only described as "scallywags") could sneak up on them.

Kai had been moved to the ground where he drifted in and out of sleep while Lloyd kept vigil over him. Zane and Nya quietly discussed better treatments of both Kai's wound and her own, as they did not want to risk infection or improper healing. Cole was leaning against a rock wall, and Morro, reluctant to let go of his "favorite," had both arms locked around his waist and was sleeping contentedly with his head in Cole's lap. The black ninja endured much teasing for the position but did not push Morro away.

Jay nervously approached the two who were a sufficient distance from the others to allow for privacy. Cole looked up as Jay leaned against the rock and slid down it so he was sitting beside his best friend.

"Hey, Jay."

"Hey."

They didn't say anything for a while after that as Jay tried to work up the nerve to tell Cole everything he'd seen in the Bone Keeper's illusion and then maybe fix-

"I've been meaning to talk to you."

Jay started as the words he had been trying to get to come out of his mouth for the past few minutes suddenly came out of Cole's.

"Uh, yeah," he replied, nodding. "You can talk to me about anything."

"Well, I wanted to go over this with you before I brought it up to the group," Cole said, purposely looking straight ahead instead of at Jay, and the lightning ninja tried to calm the fear roiling in his stomach in response to whatever Cole was about to say. He did, however, notice that Cole's hand was rubbing Morro's back, most likely without Cole even knowing what he was doing, but Jay felt a (familiar) pang of jealousy. "Kai's already almost died. Nya broke her arm. We could've been hurt or a lot worse. And, it's all for my Soul Stone."

Jay sighed, shaking his head, "Cole, we've been over this multiple times. We're-"

"No, it's more than that. I think, maybe, I should…," he hesitantly raised his eyes to Jay's. "Stay here."

Jay didn't- _physically could not_ \- respond for a moment. "St-stay here? _In the Departed Realm_?"

Cole shrugged, obviously already regretting bringing it up at all. "Yeah." He took a deep breath and began his explanation. "It's just, I'm basically already dead, and I remember who I am when I'm here, so it's not like I'm going to be lost like I was back home. And, Gem apparently can't control me as a slave as long as she only has half my Soul Stone, so we don't have to worry about that. You guys could go home right now where you'll be safe instead of losing all your souls to Gem- or worse!- and I could probably get Morro to teach me more about being a ghost and living in the Departed Realm, so-"

"Cole!" Jay interrupted, horrified. "Why- why would you _ever_ think that was a possibility? We came here to _save_ you, not send you away forever! Besides, you are not dead!"

"Might as well be," Cole grumbled. "I'm not going to let all of you guys risk your Soul Stones for mine."

Jay put his head in his hands. "Why do you have to be so stupid?! Don't you see why I had to keep you trapped in my body like I did? You won't let anybody _help_ you! This is just what family does for each other, Cole. Why can't you accept it?" He looked up, staring hard at the ghost who was now glaring at some far off spot. "Are you afraid you'll look weak if you're not constantly being 'the strong one?' Do you just not care about life anymore? About _us_? Because, we-"

"It's because I deserve to be here."

Jay gaped, drawing back as if he'd been burned. Seeing his best friend look so miserable suddenly made it all the more tragic that ghosts were incapable of crying.

"Cole," he said gently, but now the black ninja steadfastly ignored Jay's attempts to get him to look up. "Cole, where is this coming from? If anyone deserves to be here, it's _me_. You've done nothing wrong."

"You want to know what I did?" He rubbed his arm over his face, more out of habit than a need to conceal the tears there. "I killed my mom."

Jay was silent for a moment, and a sob escaped Cole.

"Tell me what happened."

Cole shook his head. "She was an alcoholic. A good-for-nothing drunk. But, I didn't know that at the time. I thought hiding her drinking from my dad was like… like a game. 'Our little secret.' I was five."

Jay felt a stab of pure, fiery rage at Cole's mother. "She drank while you were around?"

"Only when I was around." Another sob. "I'm the one who found her body. Alcohol poisoning."

Jay tried to imagine finding his own mother's corpse- and tears immediately sprang to his eyes. And, he was so young, too…

"I'm sorry, Cole," Jay whispered, rubbing his eyes. "But, that wasn't your fault."

"If I had just told my dad sooner, he could've saved her," Cole insisted. "I knew it was wrong- or, I knew _something_ was wrong, so if I had just…," he shook his head with a rueful chuckle. "He blames me, you know. He always told me it wasn't my fault, but I think, deep down, my dad blames me for her death."

"No, Cole," Jay answered immediately. "We all see how your dad treats you. He thinks the world of you. That's him blaming himself for not seeing it sooner- or, maybe not _wanting_ to see it. And, not being there for you when you needed him."

Cole wordlessly shook his head, shutting his eyes tightly.

"Cole," Jay grabbed his best friend's shoulder and squeezed so tightly he was afraid his hand would go right through him. "It was not your fault. You were five. You didn't know any better. You can't blame a child for doing what his mother told him to do."

Cole still had his eyes shut.

"At some point," Jay whispered. "You have to forgive yourself."

And then Morro laughed, shattering the moment.

"Parents are the worst," he announced, sitting up. "Mine left me in a cardboard box. Baby in a box! They should sell those at the mall."

Suddenly, the wind started picking up. Jay shivered, and Cole reached out a hand. "Morro-"

"Don't call me that! They sure didn't! They never called me anything!" He shouted, standing and drawing the attention of the other ninja. The breeze increased to a gale and accompanying dull roar. "You want to know how I got my name? I _begged_ and _begged_ for scraps and every time I got one, I'd say 'More!' All the shopkeepers and other kids teased me until 'More' morphed into 'Morro' and _that_ became my name!"

Nya stepped toward him. "Morro, please calm-"

But, the wind drowned her out.

"And, I _looked_ for them!" Morro laughed another hysterical laugh, and the others shied away from him. He didn't even appear to be aware of the fact that the wind was responding to his emotions. He just wanted to scream for the sake of screaming. "I _looked_ for them, and you want to know why I couldn't find them? Because they're _still alive._ They're alive somewhere, sipping martinis and not sparing a thought on the baby they left in a _cardboard box_ , and I just wanted to make them pay for _what they did to me_ , _what they made me into_ , _what_ -"

Kai, who in spite of his wound, had managed to push himself into a standing position and limp over to the ghost through the wind rushing around him, hugged Morro.

"I know," he whispered as the wind raged on, leaning more on Morro than he meant to. The ghost was as stiff as a board in his embrace, apparently too shocked to respond. "I know, Morro. And, they deserve it.

"But, you're not defined by them. You're defined by what you do now."

And, slowly, the wind began to die.

"What I do now," Morro repeated, trembling.

"Yeah," Kai reassured, pressing gently down on Morro's shoulders to urge him into a sitting position. He complied, settling on the ground with Kai kneeling beside him. "So, what are you going to do now, Morro?"

The ghost thought about it before looking at Kai. "Be better."

The wind was all but gone as Kai guided Morro into laying down on the ground. The ghost didn't resist. Only looked up at the fire ninja. "That's good, Morro."

"Be good…," Morro confirmed, eyes falling shut.

Then, he was asleep, and the night was as calm as it had been only moments before.

Lloyd barely managed to slide and catch Kai as he keeled over, fresh blood appearing on his makeshift bandages.

"Are you alright?!" He asked Kai, peering worriedly at the wound.

"Yeah, yeah…," Kai answered, embarrassed as he tried to ward off Lloyd's concern.

"Kai, how did you… how did you know how to calm him down?!" Jay exclaimed, shifting closer to the central scene.

"Because we know how it feels," Nya said quietly.

"But, how do we know all of that stuff is even true?" Cole asked.

"The venom appears to lower Morro's inhibitions, not heighten them," Zane explained, observing the slumbering ghost in wonder. "I am not sure he would have the ability to lie, let alone the desire in this state."

"So… he really wants to… be good?"

"I don't know," the nindroid looked down. "Just as I did not know that Morro was not his given name. How tragic."

"Yeah," Lloyd said shortly before easily picking up Kai, who protested that his image was quickly becoming unsalvageable. Everyone ignored him. "Get some sleep. We might face Gem tomorrow, and we'll need to be well-rested."

Jay looked at Cole sharply. The black ninja swallowed and gave a small nod in return.

Lloyd placed Kai by the fire in his original spot and set about replacing the bloodied bandages with his and Zane's belts.

"And, what are we going to do when we run out of belts?" Kai challenged to cover up his hiss as the wound was exposed to fresh air.

"Hopefully once we see a sign of civilization, we can see about getting you some real gauze," Lloyd replied distractedly. He inspected the gash and found no sign of infection- yet- so that was good.

"And why would ghosts be selling gauze?" Kai joked while biting the inside of his cheek to redirect some of the pain as Lloyd helped him sit up and bound the fabric around his midsection.

"We'll figure something out, Kai," Lloyd snapped, knotting the "bandages" with a vindictive tug.

The red ninja recoiled. "Wow, okay, that was uncalled for. Hey," he grabbed Lloyd's wrist and squeezed, forcing the Green Ninja to look at him. "What's gotten into you?"

Lloyd scoffed, turning away, "Why don't you ask _Morro_? Since you're suddenly best friends."

A smile grew on Kai's face. "What, are you _jealous_? Of Morro?"

"Whatever, Kai. It doesn't matter," Lloyd tried to pull out of Kai's grasp- and Kai immediately sobered upon seeing actual tears in the Green Ninja's eyes.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. It's not funny." Kai admitted, causing Lloyd to at least stop struggling to escape. "I said what I did because I knew I could get through to him, and… I hate things being left unsaid," he explained quietly, thinking back to the last time he ever saw his parents. "But, you know my whole purpose in life is to protect _you_. Morro isn't even a blip on my radar." He moved to try and meet Lloyd's eyes, which were pointed at the ground and still half-full with water. "So, what's the _real_ problem here?"

Lloyd glanced at him before looking around to make sure no one was listening. "Here, you should probably lay down," he instructed, helping Kai to keep pressure off his abdomen. He suspected the red ninja only complied to hear Lloyd's answer, but he was grateful for the lack of complaint nonetheless. "There's… something I haven't told you guys about the time I was alone with Morro.

"Before we were attacked by the scorpion, he told me that one of the favors he was going to ask for… was my forgiveness," Kai stiffened with shock, but Lloyd continued. "I… I was mad, so I slapped him and told him I would never forgive him for what he did to me. But then when the scorpion came… he saved me. I was the one about to get stung, and he pushed me out of the way."

Kai waited.

"Then he goes and reveals his whole, sad backstory, and how he doesn't even know his real name and looked for his parents and all that, and… usually that means you should forgive them, right?" Lloyd shook his head. "But, I don't. As far as I'm concerned, that's not an excuse for everything he's done.

"And, _one_ act of selflessness doesn't absolve him of all the bad he did, especially if he only did it because he wanted me to forgive him instead of out of a true desire to be good, so-"

"Lloyd," Kai placed his hand directly on the Green Ninja's face to get him to stop talking. "It's simple. Don't forgive Morro because you feel like you should, and don't not forgive him because you feel like you shouldn't have to."

"But, you did," Lloyd whispered, batting the hand away from his face. "You forgave him. It seems like the others have too. So, does it make me a bad person that I don't want to?"

Kai ruminated on this for a minute before responding. "I'm not sure I have forgiven him. Trying to understand him is not the same as forgiving him, but I think it's the first step. Besides, it's different for you, Lloyd. He… he _violated_ you in an unimaginable way. You don't owe him anything.

"If you believe Morro is telling the truth and has done enough to redeem himself, forgive him. If he hasn't, or never will, don't."

Lloyd nodded, though he still had the expression of a kicked puppy.

"Alright, c'mere," Kai grabbed the front of Lloyd's gi, pulling him down into a hug.

"Kai, I don't want to hurt you!" Lloyd reprimanded, though he squeezed the red ninja in response.

"Well, I have to make sure my little brother knows his spot isn't going to be taken by a certain ghost anytime soon."

"We're the same age," Lloyd huffed, moving to lay down beside Kai. He had to put on a good show, but, really, ever since he experienced the Bone Keeper's eerie, nightmarish future, he needed all of the reassurance he could get.

"Not in actual years," Kai argued. "Face it, Lloyd. To us, you'll always be 'baby brother.'"

"Oh, joy," Lloyd grumbled sarcastically, but he had to admit… here, in the arms of a brother who expected nothing from him, who did not expect complete and utter selflessness and nobility from the prophesied Green Ninja, who only expected him to be a human that had been deeply hurt, "baby brother" wasn't the worst title to have.

* * *

 **Wow, I did not realize how emotionally packed that chapter was going to be! Was it too much or just right for you guys (or not enough?!)?**

 **Also, I hope to post the last chapter of "Five Times Kai Lost His Temper" by Monday, so keep an eye out for it if you read it! :D**


	18. What, Is She a Princess?

**270 reviews?! You guys are too good to me! I appreciate each and every one of you!**

 **Special thanks to Morro and More, YinYangBroandSis, RandomDragon2.0, mlemwuhluwuh, LunaMoons, StoriesAreMagic, xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx, DaStonekeeper, MagicWords22, SpitfirewaterNinja, ThisIsMaiLyfe, TheYellowNinja, Star, Guest, SnowNinjaAJ, Peanut2196, Ebony umbreon, rbrill345, ABCSKW123-IX, and Nali Nali Nalina for reviewing! I love you guys :3**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **ThisIsMaiLyfe: Oh my gosh, your review was so nice! Work of art?! I am always very nervous about posting, so this kind of reassurance is invaluable to me :D I am so happy you thought the emotion wasn't overdone! I hate to overdo things! Thank you SO much! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: Aw, perfect?! That makes me so happy to hear!** **(＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ I do love them very much! They are always so heartfelt and detailed, so thank you so much for spending so much time on me and my story! :D I agree that the venom is a good thing for Morro! Like Zane said last chapter, it lowers his inhibitions, so the ninja have an easier time of getting past all the emotional walls he keeps up :D BUT, we'll see if they can actually forgive him for everything he's done ;D Thank you so much! :D**

 **Star: Aw, I'm so happy you liked it! And, Morro has a very sad past** **(;﹏;) Thank you so much! :D**

 **Guest: Interesting question! I would think his ghost would appear shortly after his death. And, considering the Realm Crystal's been in the First Spinjitzu Master's tomb this whole time, I would think that would be the first death in the Departed Realm, but you never know! XD Thank you for your review and this thought-provoking question! :D**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: I LOVE the idea that all the ninja think of Lloyd as there baby brother XD Backstories will get you every time XD Aw, sorry the story's dragging on for you! (I am a sucker for emotion, so I can never tell when it's too much XD) I will tell you that the action will be... put into motion this chapter, but we will really get into next chapter! :D I hope you are still liking the story regardless! Thank you so much for your review!**

 **rbrill345: I constantly want to give Morro a hug while writing this story (;﹏;) (Even when he's acting like a jerk XD) Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Hopefully Cole got a little emotional relief, but unfortunately Jay still has everything bottled up inside** **(;﹏;) So much guilt and self-loathing to go around! Haha, I thought Lloyd scooping up Kai like it was no problem was a funny mental image XD I definitely think Lloyd is the baby of the family, so I like to expand on that a little bit in my stories :D Kai is such a good big brother! Lloyd definitely needed that reassurance! Aw, thank you so much!** **(＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ**

* * *

"Hnghh…,"

"Look, guys, he's waking up!"

"Mrghphhhh…,"

Morro grabbed his head, blinking the stars out of his vision as he slowly regained consciousness. When he could see, he was met with six ninja staring at him who had not been there before.

He screeched, sitting up even as his back ached and head pounded. "Where am I? Where's my Soul Stone? _What did you do to me_?!"

"Woah, Morro, calm down!" Cole waved his hands back and forth as if he could physically keep the panic at bay. "We didn't do anything to you! We took care of you!"

"Took… care…?" He blinked, slowly recalling the events that led up to his current predicament. Slapping a hand to his face, he groaned, "The scorpion venom."

The others raised their eyebrows. "So, you're back to your normal self?" Nya asked hopefully.

"Normal self?" Morro moved his hand so he could narrow his eyes at them. "Wait, I didn't do anything embarrassing, did I?"

"You sang, cuddled with Cole, and used the word 'scallywag' unironically," Jay listed on his fingers before looking up at Morro apologetically. "So, yes, you did."

"You're lucky you ran down my phone battery, or I would've recorded the whole thing," Kai added unhelpfully.

The ghost groaned loudly, burying his face in his hands. "You're not allowed to use this against me. I'm still your most formidable foe."

The ninja shared a look. If Morro was claiming he still wanted to be viewed as a foe, then he probably didn't remember confessing to everyone present his not-so-secret desire to be good.

Zane stepped forward and pat him on the head. "I'm sorry, Morro. My vote for most formidable foe goes to the Overlord. But, you can have the title for only foe that's ever cuddled with one of us."

Everyone laughed, and Zane looked around in confusion, not understanding the joke. Morro slapped his hand away, a sulky expression on his face.

"Look, we need to get back on track," Lloyd announced, swallowing the last of his giggles. "Morro, you're still our guide. How do we get to Gem?"

Morro glanced at him uncertainly before looking away again, uncomfortable. Kai may not have noticed before, but now, knowing what had happened between the two when they were alone, the air was noticeably more tense when they interacted.

"She's not much farther," the ghost explained, nodding at the jungle waiting patiently behind its invisible boundary. "She lives in there. In a castle."

"A castle?" Jay repeated. "What, is she a princess?"

"Why do you assume she's a princess? Girls can be knights," Nya argued.

Not for the first time, everyone turned to stare at Nya.

"Why have you been acting so weird?" Kai demanded, brow furrowed.

"I'm not acting weird," Nya argued.

"Well, princess is way more accurate. She never leaves her castle," Morro corrected, leaning back on his palms. "I've never met her, but, like me, her reputation precedes her."

"How are we going to get Cole's Soul Stone back?" Jay asked, sticking an elbow in the black ninja's ribs when it looked like he might speak.

"Honestly?" Morro leaned back on his palms. "I say give up."

"Not an option," Kai answered immediately.

"Morro, you don't get your second favor if you don't see this all the way though," Lloyd growled, advancing.

"Well, since I'm not getting my first one, the second one doesn't matter much," Morro responded, glaring up the Green Ninja from where he was still sitting on the ground.

Cole, Jay, Nya, and Zane stiffened in surprise and looked back and forth between Morro and Lloyd. "What's the first favor?" Nya asked hesitantly.

The two continued their staring contest until Morro scoffed and looked away. "It doesn't matter. Look, I never said I wouldn't take you, just that you shouldn't go." He held up a hand and started counting off the reasons on it. "Considering Gem made a deal with the _Bone Keeper_ and sent a giant scorpion after us, she's obviously very protective of Cole's Soul Stone, which stands to reason that she'll do whatever it takes to get the other half. Since we killed the giant scorpion, she now knows we survived and are on our way to her, so stealing it will be next to impossible. And, she's a master of mind control. If you actually have something she would potentially trade the Soul Stone for, she'll just make you give it up without paying a cent for it. Either way, she wins."

"But, the fact that she sent the scorpion after us at all proves she sees as a threat," Zane concluded.

Morro cocked his head, thinking. "I suppose so. She has thousands of slaves but not really any fighters, or at least not to your caliber."

"And, how just how effective is this mind control?" Kai asked.

"Very," Morro replied. "I've heard some rumors of people who could resist it, but if that's true, it would take crazy mental fortitude. Let down your guard for one second, and bam, your hers."

"If she has so many Soul Stones, why does she care so much about mine?" Cole asked.

"She's a collector. You know how rare a half Soul Stone is?" Morro shrugged. "But, she's also insane. Maybe she's just obsessed with you."

Cole grimaced, and Jay and Kai snickered at his expense, earning a glare for their trouble.

"We need to get moving," Lloyd announced. "You sure you know how to get there?"

"Of course I do," Morro replied flippantly, pushing himself to his feet. "It's-" he swayed, his vision immediately blurring out of focus, and he struggled to stay on his feet. "It's-"

Suddenly, he was plucked off the ground and swung into the air. When he could see clearly again, he found himself gracelessly slung over Cole's shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Put me down!" He demanded, pounding the earth ninja's back. "I am not a _child_!" But, even as he struggled, he found his strength draining out of him, exhaustion taking its place.

"Sorry, Morro," Cole said, obviously with a huge smug grin on his face even if Morro couldn't see it. He started moving forward, following the others who were heading into the jungle and laughing at Morro's predicament. "You're obviously not one hundred percent, and we can't leave you behind."

Kai, who was leaning on Lloyd (the makeshift cart wouldn't roll through the thick undergrowth of the jungle, and Kai insisted he could walk), called over his shoulder, "Don't worry, Morro! This will give you plenty of time to cuddle with Cole!"

Morro drooped in his captor's grasp as more peals of laughter assaulted his eardrums. If ghosts could die, the mortification would have killed him.

* * *

It took them over half a day to reach Gem's castle.

Most of that was trying to avoid getting eaten and/or maimed by the undead jungle fauna that looked exactly like the inanimate jungle flora and seemed to have a sadistic streak. Though Zane almost got eaten by a humongous, mutant venus flytrap, the ninja survived in large part due to Morro's guidance (as much as Lloyd didn't like to admit it.) After he finally resigned himself to being carried by Cole, he told them what was okay to eat, which was a necessity considering all of their supplies had been lost in the bus crash; what plants were poisonous, which saved Jay from a nasty case of ghost poison ivy, whatever that was; and what insects to avoid at all costs, which resulted in many hilarious chase scenes.

Finally, though, they stumbled upon the castle and received an answer to their unspoken question: why build a castle in a jungle?

Answer: the castle was there first. The jungle had grown around it.

The stone walls were weathered and darkened with age- at least, where they could be seen through the ivy and other unrecognizable plants creeping along every available inch of wall. The battlements were actually crumbling in places, and the wood of the drawbridge was moldy and rotted. There was, of course, no water in what used to be the moat, indicating that its presence at all was only an imitation of the Mortal Realm, like so many other things here. It looked as if nothing had been here in a very, very long time.

"It seems… empty," Lloyd concluded, levelling a sharp gaze at Morro. "Are you sure Gem is here?"

"I told you, she never leaves, and no one else- or should I say, no one else _sane_ \- would come anywhere near this place if they didn't have to," Morro replied from where he was still seated on Cole's back. "She's here."

Lloyd tapped his chin, thinking. "Fine. Let's walk the perimeter and see what weaknesses we can spot. Remember, this is reconnaissance _only_."

The other five ninja voiced their affirmation, and Morro rolled his eyes.

They crept silently through the normally noisy underbrush of the jungle, scrutinizing every visible detail of the stronghold. Honestly, it did not appear formidable whatsoever; there were even cracks and holes in some places, and they had yet to see a single ghost guarding it. While it helped alleviate some of their fears about getting Cole's Soul Stone back, it was also very unsettling.

And, then that unsettled feeling transformed into outright alarm when they neared the garden wall and heard someone singing.

"Into the trees! Get a visual!" Lloyd hissed almost inaudibly, and instantly the ninja dashed into the thick foliage the jungle trees provided. It was a little difficult for Cole with Morro on his back, but he managed, perching in the same tree as Lloyd. Kai and Nya with their injuries though, were forced to stay on the ground, however begrudgingly.

They looked down into a garden that was actually quite stunning compared to the rest of the decaying construct. Flowers of every imaginable color blanketed the ground, their soft, delicate aesthetic contrasting nicely with the vibrant, almost aggressive colors of the jungle plants. There, right in the middle of all of them, belting out a song none of them recognized while picking said flowers was-

A little girl.

A _little_ girl, perhaps six years old. She was obviously a ghost, though her glow was so pale it was almost white, matching the white party dress she wore. She turned and caught the light, and they peered closer when there was a flash of color.

Sewn into the skirt of the dress were _Soul Stones_ , scores of them arranged in a gradient from a pale, coral pink to blood red.

Suddenly, she stopped singing and straightened with a bouquet of mostly yellow flowers in her hands. "Big brother!" She called, hurrying toward a ghost they had not even noticed standing stoically near the edge of the garden.

"Brother?" Cole whispered to Morro.

"Not her real brother, just someone she owns." The ghost shuddered. "She likes to pretend with them, though. They're like _dolls_ …,"

She pushed the flowers at him, and the ghost, who was nondescript aside from the eerily blank expression and the fact that he was not much older than the ninja, accepted them absent-mindedly. She laughed, flipping her golden blonde ringlets over her shoulder, and the seven of them could see that she was wearing another Soul Stone around her neck, fixed onto a choker.

It was black as obsidian with a luminescent silver spiral. What was really striking about it though, was that it was only half a Soul Stone, straight on one side as if it had been split cleanly in two.

Cole froze, a cry of recognition, of _longing,_ caught in his throat.

Gem took her 'brother's' hand not occupied by the flowers and began to lead him inside-

She stiffened, turning on her heel to stare directly at the cluster of trees where they were hiding. She couldn't see them- _surely_ she couldn't see them, concealed in the canopy as they were- but they all held their breaths anyway. Her gaze was piercing, as if she was peering directly into their souls, and she suddenly seemed nothing like the carefree six year old they had believed her to be moments before but rather like something much, much older.

Eventually, she sniffed, apparently seeing nothing, and disappeared into the castle with her surrogate brother by her side.

No one moved until several long minutes had passed, as if afraid she would reappear and catch them in the act. Eventually, they disembarked from the trees and moved a significant distance away from the castle into a small clearing, and only then did anybody dare to speak.

Cole let Morro down from his back- and Lloyd smacked him on the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" Their guide rubbed his arm, glaring at the Green Ninja.

"Because you keep conveniently leaving out vital pieces of information!" Lloyd fumed, throwing his arms in the air. "You don't warn us about the Bone Keeper's illusions until we're right outside his door, and now you didn't think it important to mention that Gem is a _child_?!"

"A child?" Kai repeated, scoffing. "Morro's freaked out by a little kid?"

"I told you, age isn't a thing here. She's older than I am," Morro argued, his tone biting. "Besides, knowing the age she was when she died doesn't change anything. You're still going to steal the Soul Stone back from her, aren't you? Or are you chickening out now that it might involve a tussle with a toddler?"

"I don't see how that's even going to be possible, guys," Cole input forlornly. "You saw it. She's _wearing_ it. It'll be impossible to get close enough without getting mind controlled."

"I tried to warn you," Morro pointed out.

"We're getting his Soul Stone," Jay asserted, narrowing his eyes.

"There must be a solution. Morro, tell us everything you know about Gem and her castle," Zane ordered.

"And, don't leave _anything_ out this time," Lloyd added, crossing his arms.

* * *

Needless to say, the arguing about the correct course of action lasted into the evening.

Kai, unsurprisingly, and Nya, surprisingly (and aggressively), advocated for a full frontal assault, insisting they could participate in spite of their wounds. Zane busied himself pointing out logical flaws and calculating chances of success. Jay was overly enthusiastic about every suggested plan. Cole was almost silent, seemingly the one least concerned about his Soul Stone's retrieval.

Lloyd and Morro…

"There is _no way_ you're coming!"

"I'm the guide! How am I supposed to guide from here?!"

"You're still weak from the scorpion venom!"

"Which proves I can take one for the team."

" _You are not on the team_!"

Everyone present could tell they were fighting about more than the plan, even if they didn't fully understand it.

Jay, fed up and tired of all the fighting, nudged Cole, resolving to finally get the Bone Keeper's illusion off his chest. Third time's the charm. "Can I talk to you? Privately?"

Cole, eying him warily, nodded. "Sure."

No one noticed them leave the group meeting; or, if they did, no one said anything. Once they were a sufficient distance away so the argument was only a low murmur, Jay turned to face Cole, though he kept his eyes directed toward the bioluminescent undergrowth of the jungle.

"Jay, if this is about what I told you yesterday-"

"No. There's something I have to tell you, but I'm really, really scared you'll hate me after I do." Jay took a deep breath and, cutting Cole off, said in a rush, "WhenwewereattheBoneKeeper'scasino-"

"Jay, Jay, slow down! I can't understand a word you're saying."

Jay sighed and began again more slowly, "When we were at the Bone Keeper's casino… I didn't really see mimes."

"No, really?" Cole asked sarcastically.

Jay rolled his eyes. "Will you just let me talk?" He huffed before immediately reassuming his grave manner upon remembering what he was about to say. "I saw… you. Dead. I- I killed you. And, then I heard this voice- well, it was _my_ voice, talking to me- and telling me that I… did it on purpose. I didn't think I did!" He rushed to add, waving his arms frantically. "But, then I started thinking about how I've always been jealous of you because you're so much better than me at everything and maybe I'm still a little afraid that Nya will like you better, so maybe _subconsciously_... I did push you into the water on purpose."

He kept staring at the ground, waiting for Cole to yell at him, tell him what a horrible brother he was- or that they _weren't_ brothers anymore- and that he was going to tell the others that he was a murderer-

Cole burst out laughing.

Jay gaped.

"I'm sorry!" Cole gasped for air, wiping imaginary tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry! Just… _you're_ jealous of _me_?"

Jay blinked. "Um, _yeah_. You're stronger and more confident and you _let_ me have Nya because you knew I'd lose her if we kept fighting, so…,"

But, Cole was shaking his head, still grinning with the last of his chuckles. "Jay, I gave up Nya, because I knew I didn't have a chance with her. She loves _you_ , man. You're a genius! I wish _I_ could be more like _you_!"

Jay was silent, eyes bugging out of his head.

"I _know_ you didn't push me into the water on purpose," Cole continued. "I saw your face when I fell. Besides, don't you remember? You tried to catch me."

Jay frowned, relief mixing with guilt and jealousy with a smattering of awe all fighting in his stomach and sort of making him feel like he wanted to throw up. "But-"

Cole jumped, grabbing his arm. "Do you hear that?"

Jay, a little frustrated that they were being interrupted _again_ , listened and could just make out someone singing very faintly. At first he was afraid Gem had found them, but quickly he realized the voice they were hearing now, though female, was much deeper and older than Gem's prepubescent one.

"Yeah, so?" Jay turned back to Cole, brow furrowed. "It's just some ghost singing. Or, probably some age old jungle curse Morro neglected to mention that's going to drive us insane."

Cole tightened his grip on Jay's arm.

"It's my mom."

* * *

 **:O What do you guys think is going to happen now!? Also, I'm curious to know what you guys thought of Gem now that we've finally seen her! (And she's not what the ninja expected XD)**

 **For the next "Five Times" I'm still deciding between featuring Jay or Lloyd as a kid, so feel free to leave a vote if you'd like! :D**


	19. Itty Bitty, Teensy Weensy, Little Thing

**Thank you, everyone, for all the love Lost Soul has received! :D**

 **Special thanks to Ebony umbreon, TheEvil4ssHole, RandomDragon2.0, rbrill345, Morro and More, StoriesAreMagic, RobinLost, YinYangBroandSis, LunaMoons, FropessionalWriter95, Star, TheYellowNinja, ColeIzMine, xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx, SnowNinjaAJ, MagicWords22, Peanut2196, Nali Nali Nalina , and ShinyShiny9 for reviewing!**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **rbrill345: Haha, all your questions will be answered eventually! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Star: Aw, I'm so happy you liked the last line! I thought it was appropriately dramatic XD Thank you so much!**

 **TheYellowNinja: Haha, I'm glad Gem surprised you! That's the reaction I was going for XD Aw, I am SO happy the last chapter shocked you so much! No worries, the next chapter is finally here! Thank you for reviewing!**

 **ColeIzMine: "Absolutely fabulous?!" You are too kind!** **(＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ Keeping them in character is very important to me, so the fact that you think I succeeded is HUGE compliment! And, making Gem a little kid was "genius?!" Stop! (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ We'll see Gem some more this chapter, so you'll know if your predictions are right! ;D Thank you so so much for your incredibly nice review!**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: I hope this chapter suits your tastes! Haha, the ninja are so awesome, you have to put them in seemingly impossible situations or else it will be too easy XD Haha, I'm glad you liked the journey and Morro's title XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Haha, I don't think anybody else would have guessed Morro would ever have that title either XD Good idea for Gem, but I think you're right in that the ninja will have more trouble with someone seemingly cute and innocent! XD Jay is so caught up in his own worries, when there was absolutely nothing to worry about :/ We'll see what happens with Cole's mom this chapter! Thank you for reviewing!**

* * *

Jay found himself struck-dumb for the umpth time that night, and by the time he regained enough of his faculties to ask "are you _sure_?" Cole was hurrying through the jungle, following the voice like a sailor hearing a siren's song. The blue ninja bit his lip, caught between warning his friends and making sure Cole didn't get into any trouble. He almost couldn't see Cole's form in the rapidly darkening jungle though, so, with an anxious groan, ran after his best friend.

"Cole, how do you even know it's her?" He called, struggling to catch up to the ghost.

"You think I can't recognize my own mother's voice? She was a singer! How do you think my parents met?" Cole replied over his shoulder, stopping momentarily to listen again and be sure of his direction.

"But, it's been years! Maybe you're just hearing what you want to hear!" Jay panted, finally meeting Cole, only for the black ninja to dash off again.

"No, it's her! I mean, I knew she was here after all, but I never thought…," Cole said, pushing aside vines and branches until he remembered he could just phase through them.

Jay sputtered as a branch whacked him in the face- and then panicked when he saw Gem's castle getting nearer. "Cole, we shouldn't be here! The others-"

Cole turned to glare at Jay over his shoulder. "Would you pass up an opportunity to see your dead mother again?"

Jay swallowed his next argument.

The closer they got to Gem's castle, the louder the song got, and the more driven Cole became.

Jay was scaling the slope of the dry moat nearer the castle when he hissed, "Cole, what about Gem? Her mind control? _Ring any bells_?"

Cole ignored him.

The drawbridge was up, but the door beside it was unlocked. Jay was trying to tell Cole with expressions and hand gestures that this was all _way too easy_ , but Cole would have nothing of it. They found themselves in the suspiciously empty entrance hall and finally Jay grabbed his arm.

"Cole, this has to be a-"

"Trap?"

Jay squeaked and turned to see Gem saunter into the room. The song ended.

She was still wearing the white party dress and Cole's Soul Stone around her neck, but with the confident smirk on her face she appeared much more sinister than the little girl they'd seen picking flowers in the garden. She was even shorter than she seemed to be from a distance, her frame petite, almost-birdlike.

She was holding the hand of a woman with platinum blonde hair. Jay had to admit she was beautiful. She was certainly older than him but not by much, perhaps in her late twenties. Her face was completely blank, the same as Gem's "big brother" from before.

Cole seemed to not even notice Gem was there. He had eyes only for the woman.

"Mom!"

The woman did not respond, seemed not to have even heard him.

Jay, realizing Cole would not be useful in his emotional state, dropped into a fighting stance- only to be tackled from behind. His arms were wrenched painfully behind his back, and before he could throw off his attackers, handcuffs were locked around his wrists.

He gasped and tried to call on his lightning- and couldn't. Vengestone.

Cole, ignoring Jay's predicament, was watching his mother with a mix of horror and guilt and longing and _love_ , and Gem glanced at her disinterestedly. "Do you like her?" She asked, as if they were talking about a painting or a new car and not a _person_. "I bought her soul after I found yours. She told me all about you! She was a bad mommy, but she loved you a lot, I think."

Cole glared, but Jay, from his vantage point where he was still being forced into the ground, could see he was shaking. "What did you do to her?"

"I told her to forget," Gem answered offhandedly, like she was telling the time. "And to be silent now. But, I could take those things back…," her eyes flashed, "if you want to join her."

"Cole, don't!" Jay shouted, managing to kick one his attackers in the stomach and the other in the face. Free, he scrambled to his feet and rushed to his best friend's side. "You can't sell your soul, Cole! Your mom wouldn't want this for you!" Even as he said it though, distantly he thought it was strange that Gem was asking at all. If she could just compel Cole to do her bidding now that they were within earshot, why bother trying to convince him?

Cole, finally acknowledging that Jay was there, met his eyes. Then, hesitantly, he turned back to Gem, though his gaze still landed on his all but comatose mother. "...no."

Gem pouted, and once again she was a little girl that didn't get her way. "Are you _sure_?"

And, she did- _something_.

Her expression didn't change, nothing physically _changed_ , but her blue eyes were… deeper somehow, and Jay, feeling like he might get lost in them, hurriedly turned his face away. But, looking at Cole, he suddenly saw the same blank expression on his face that was on the face of every other ghost here, including Cole's mother and Jay's two attackers who were now standing dumbly behind him, awaiting orders from their mistress.

"Cole!" Jay elbowed his brother as hard as he could in the ribs, but the black ninja didn't respond. Only continued staring into Gem's eyes. " _Cole_!"

"Don't you want to be with your mommy again, Cole?" Gem asked, her voice lilting gently.

"...yes…," Cole eventually responded in a monotone, eyes empty of any emotion or _anything_ that resembled himself, and Jay knew he was under Gem's spell.

"Cole, please, listen to my voice! She's controlling you!" Jay insisted, but it was like yelling at a brick wall.

"If you want to be with her again, you just have to do one itty bitty, teensy weensy, little thing for me," Gem continued as if Jay wasn't there. Suddenly, she pulled a _knife_ from between the folds of her skirt. The handle was black as pitch, but the blade glowed a sickly green, reminding Jay of a ghost's ectoplasm. "Give me your Soul Stone."

Cole blinked slowly, as if sleepy. "Yes."

"Cole, don't!" Realizing he was getting nowhere, Jay finally decided to take action. Even with his hands bound behind his back, he rushed at the now armed Gem, preparing to kick-

And, he stopped. It wasn't like he meant to. But, something told him he _should_ , that he _wanted_ to stop, that everything was going to be okay if he did nothing...

Shaking himself out of his stupor, he saw Gem glaring at him and realized she had just used her mind control on him. And, it was every bit as powerful as Morro said it was.

Confident the problem had been dealt with, she turned back to Cole, who slowly approached her now. He walked as if through mud, his movements sluggish and reluctant but movement all the same.

Once Cole was standing in front of her, Jay shouted, "What are you going to do to him?"

"Me?" Gem asked innocently. " _I'm_ not going to do anything."

She handed Cole the blade, handle first.

He took it.

"Cole?" Jay tried one last time, voice trembling. The black ninja didn't respond. Jay tried attacking Gem again. She stopped him in his tracks with one haunting gaze, and Jay knew it was futile.

"You know what to do, don't you?" Gem asked Cole, grinning.

Dazedly, Cole nodded. He turned the faintly glowing knife in his hand so it was facing inward- and touched the point to his stomach.

"Gem, please stop it!" Jay begged, hating that he had to resort to grovelling, hating that he couldn't do a thing to help his friend, hating _himself_ and everything he had done that led up to this point. " _Please_ , Gem, I'll do anything you want! Take mine instead!"

"I'd already have it if I wanted it," she retorted, her voice cold. To Cole, she said more gently, "Go ahead, Cole. You can do it!"

Cole nodded again.

Then, he stabbed himself.

There was a gasp and a grunt of pain, but he stuck the knife in to the hilt. Jay, tears freely flowing down his face now, screamed in horror and fell to his knees. The knife-the knife should have phased through him, nothing can hurt ghosts, nothing can hurt ghosts except water, so _why was Cole bleeding_?

Gem peered at the green ectoplasm now leaking out of the self-inflicted wound, then nodded in satisfaction. "Now, twist…,"

Cole nodded again and did as he was told, horrible, bleating whimpers escaping him, and Jay was dry-heaving but it had to be a nightmare, this had to be a nightmare, because there was no way a little girl was forcing Cole to _mutilate_ himself-

Gem grinned, and Jay felt a hatred so intense and _black_ it scared him that anything inside him could be so dark. She grasped the handle of the knife and yanked it out, then stuck her other hand through the wound, _inside_ Cole.

Jay had to look away, retching but managing to keep the vomit down if only because he hadn't eaten much that day.

When he was able to look up again, Gem was staring fondly down at a little rock in her hand that was coated in ectoplasm- half of an obsidian gem with a silver spiral on it. And, _Cole_ \- the wound had already closed, Jay noted with an ounce of relief, but- but- his expression was still completely blank- why wasn't he moving- _Cole_ …

"I _knew_ you loved me, Big Brother!" Gem exclaimed, throwing her arms around Cole's waist. Cole did not react whatsoever. Just stared ahead with those empty eyes.

Jay, barely able to see through his tears now, ground out, "You're _sick_."

Gem pulled away from Cole and glared at Jay, who shrunk from that piercing gaze. "I could take your soul too, if you want." She sashayed over to him, glowing green blade still in hand. Cole stayed where he was, staring at the place where Gem used to be. His mother stood idly by, equally as unresponsive. Jay concluded he must be in a horror movie.

Gem, the same height as Jay in his kneeling position, stood in front of him and brandished the knife. "I could take it from you right now," the blade hovered closer and closer toward his midsection, and the blue ninja found himself leaning away, closing his eyes and wishing, wishing, _wishing_ he and Cole were anywhere else… "Or, I could make _you_ do it," Gem continued. Jay gasped when he felt the point of the knife- _the same knife Cole had just stabbed himself with_ \- caress his skin. She was _teasing_ him, _playing_ with him, and Jay knew he was a coward through and through because this little kid _scared him so bad_ -

The pressure left his abdomen. "But, I won't."

To the two patiently waiting ghosts, she ordered, "Get him out of my sight." She grinned, running up to Cole and bouncing excitedly in place. "Me and my new big brother are going to go play!"

The two ghosts grabbed Jay under either arm and hauled him into a standing position. "He's not your brother!" Jay called after Gem as she took Cole's hand and started pulling him further into the castle. "He never will be! He'll always be just a _slave_!"

Gem ignored him. She and Cole disappeared down a hallway. Cole's mother was left standing silently in the foyer, completely forgotten.

The ghosts wrestled the struggling Jay back through the door he entered through, and literally _threw_ him out of the castle so he landed at the bottom of the dry moat, all the wind knocked out of him.

When the others finally found him, he was sobbing Cole's name over and over again, utterly inconsolable.

* * *

"So, what do we do now?" Kai asked, staring wistfully into the small campfire he had created.

Jay, after choking out the story of what had happened to him and Cole and revealing that Gem now owned both halves of Cole's Soul Stone and so owned _him_ , had apologized repeatedly until he cried himself into a fitful slumber. Zane had managed to pick the lock on the vengestone handcuffs, and Jay's head was now in Nya's lap, the water ninja stroking his hair soothingly; but they could all tell from the way he twitched and moaned that he was suffering from nightmares. The others were settled around the fire in the now complete darkness of night in varying states of depression.

"There's no way to beat her," Morro said quietly. His voice had lost every ounce of arrogance and condescension. "Just go home before she takes all of you too."

Lloyd sprang to his feet. "That's what's wrong with you! You have no sense of loyalty! Or family! No wonder you don't have one."

"Lloyd," Zane said in a sharp tone, letting him know he had gone too far.

Morro was trembling as he looked up at the Green Ninja. "I liked him, you know. He carried me." He narrowed his eyes. "But, I'm also the only one removed enough from the situation to see that he would have wanted you to leave him behind."

Lloyd was pale with rage. "No ninja left behind."

"This is not a story book or a game, Lloyd," Morro snapped, narrowing his eyes. "Sometimes you have to leave people behind for the greater good."

"Don't you _dare_ talk to me about the greater good. In case you forgot, you made me destroy the Cursed Realm with my _father_ inside-"

"After _you_ sent him there. For the greater good."

" _Enough_ , you two!" Nya yelled, finally reaching her limit of arguing. "How can you possibly think it's the time for this!? Cole is the slave of some demon child, and here you two are trying to work out your relationship issues. You should be _ashamed_ of yourselves."

Lloyd and Morro looked down.

"We have to get him back," Kai stated, looking at each of his family members- each of his family members that were _left_ \- in turn. "We came here to get him back."

"In any case, we can do nothing tonight," Zane concluded. "We must rest and plan our course of action when we are more… level-headed…," he trailed off, looking in the direction of Gem's castle as if he would be able to see his brother one last time that way.

Lloyd nodded. "Zane's right," he sighed tiredly. "Everyone… get some sleep."

* * *

 **And, Cole is now Gem's slave. Things are certainly looking bleak for the ninja :/**

 **On a happier note, I've decided that the next Five Times will feature... Lloyd! Thank you to everyone who left a vote! It was not an easy decision XD**


	20. Big Brother

**Wow! Chapter 20! To celebrate this milestone, here is an extra long chapter XD**

 **Special thanks to RandomDragon2.0, StoriesAreMagic, RobinLost, LunaMoons, musicalsaregood, YinYangBroandSis, Ebony umbreon, ColeIzMine, Star, ABCSKW123-IX, Morro and More, Spottedfrost7, SnowNinjaAJ, TheYellowNinja, Drawkill Vear, rbrill345, Guest, and Nali Nali Nalina for reviewing! You guys make me so happy! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **ColeIzMine: Haha! The others are feeling the same way right about now! XD Aw, I'm SO happy you thought Gem's manipulation was well-executed! :3 AND, you think she's a unique and formidable villain!? You are too kind! :D Haha, I'm so happy to hear about the incoherent screaming XD Your compliments are so so so nice! Thank you so much for your incredibly kind review :D**

 **Star: Haha, thankfully no one will listen to Morro! They'll certainly try to save Cole, but we'll see if they can... ;D Thanks so much for reviewing!**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: Cole fell for Gem's trap, because he wanted to see his mom so badly :'( Lloyd's Five Times will be up very soon! :D Thanks for reviewing!**

 **TheYellowNinja: Aw, "incredible writing talent!?" You are too nice! Haha, don't feel any pressure to review! XD Horror and pain pretty much sum up Jay's condition, so it makes me really happy to know you could feel that :D Thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **rbrill345: Haha! Poor Cole indeed! Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Guest: I'm so glad! Keeping them all in character is a top priority of mine, so I'm SO happy to hear you think I succeeded! I'm glad this story held your attention! Thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Haha! Gem is certainly terrifying! I guess the others should have taken Morro more seriously XD Thanks for reviewing!**

* * *

When they woke up the next day, it was almost noon- and Jay was gone.

Hoping beyond hope he hadn't decided to do something reckless, they rushed toward Gem's castle… and found him in the tree they had hidden in the day before- was that only the day before when they'd had Cole and getting his Soul Stone back actually seemed possible?

He was peering into Gem's garden with a smoldering expression, and when those who were able joined him, they saw why. Gem herself was in the garden, singing and weaving freshly picked flowers into a crown.

Cole sat with his legs crossed in the grass beside her, staring straight ahead with that same eerily blank expression on his face.

Once she had a complete crown, she showed it to Cole, and with prompt from her, he nodded in approval. Squealing in delight, she placed the crown of yellow dandelions on his head. If it were any other time- _any other time_ \- they would have laughed at Cole with reckless abandon. Now, the sight of the flower crown on his head evoked anger, sadness, disgust, grief… but no laughter.

Gem, now beginning to weave another crown of pink flowers, either for herself or to replace Cole's current one, suddenly stopped and looked up at the tree they were in.

This time, they knew she saw them, because she smiled. And, _waved_.

Back on the ground, Jay whispered, "She knows we can't touch her."

Kai balked, "She can't be _that_ powerful-"

"You weren't there. You don't know how it felt to be forced to do what she wanted, to watch Cole _carve_ -" Jay stopped himself with a shuddering gasp.

"What does Gem gain from having these 'big brothers?'" Zane asked, hand on his chin. "They are little more than puppets to her."

"She's delusional," Nya suggested.

"She's psychotic," Jay whispered.

"She's lonely," Morro said, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Whatever she is, she's not all-powerful," Lloyd concluded.

"Jay, you mentioned a knife that could hurt ghosts?" Zane asked as gently as possible.

Jay nodded curtly.

"The Dark Dagger." Morro named. "Yeah, but only temporarily. They're usually used exclusively in the the transfer of a Soul Stone. Besides, I don't have one. We'd have to take hers, and I doubt she lets it out of her sight considering how valuable it is."

"So, we make it a stealth mission," Lloyd decided. "Take Cole's Soul Stones when she's sleeping. In and out without ever being seen."

"There's no point." Jay shook his head miserably. "She's too powerful. We'll never make it. Cole will be her slave forever, and it's all-"

Kai slapped a hand over Jay's mouth, effectively cutting him off. "Do _not_ say it's all your fault. This whole thing has been one been one non-stop pity party for you, Jay. I admit that part of that is because of me, and I'm sorry for that, but get _over_ it. You shoved Cole like any of us might have. That's it. What's happening now is Gem's fault and Gem's alone. Got it?"

After a long pause, Jay, unable to respond verbally because of the hand still over his mouth, nodded almost imperceptibly.

"So, are you going to sit here and cry and do nothing while Gem uses Cole like a doll in her freaky game of House? Or, are you doing to do something about it?"

Kai removed his hand.

Jay, with a smile on his face- a very small smile, but a smile nonetheless- said, "We're going to do something about it."

* * *

They prepared to infiltrate Gem's castle, taking stock of all their supplies. Considering they had lost almost everything during the bus crash, there wasn't much to take stock of- until they realized Gem had carelessly left the vengestone cuffs on Jay. Vengestone cuffs that not only cancelled out an Elemental Master's powers but a ghost's special abilities as well.

"We sneak in, and we wait," Lloyd instructed his team, holding up the handcuffs. "From what Jay said, Gem's other ghosts can't or won't do anything she doesn't tell them to do, but we can't take any chances. This mission is full stealth: do not be seen and do not make a sound. Be wary of any ghost, even Cole. Remember, he's under Gem's control now. And, if we are seen by Gem, it's game over.

"Morro explained to me that ghosts don't have to sleep but do when they want to, so this will be a stake out. We may need to take shifts; I'm trusting each of you to know your own limitations. If at any point you feel you may put the secrecy of the mission at risk, leave, regroup, and return when you can. The plan as it stands right now is to wait until Gem is sleeping, slap the handcuffs on her, and take Cole's Soul Stone that she's wearing around her neck. Got it?"

All the ninja agreed, except Morro who was sulking because Lloyd wouldn't let him come on the mission.

Suddenly, Jay stepped forward with his hand outstretched. "I want to do it. I want to take Cole back from her."

Lloyd eyed the blue ninja warily. "Are you sure you're up to facing her? I mean… no one would blame you if you didn't want to come, Jay, after what you saw."

Jay gripped the Vengestone cuffs. "I'm going to do it."

It wasn't a question.

Lloyd, seeing the conviction in his eyes, nodded solemnly. "Okay." He released the cuffs, and Jay offered a grateful glance before moving back into the main group. To everyone, Lloyd announced, "We're leaving in ten minutes! Get ready!"

As the rest of his ninja dispersed to follow his orders, Lloyd grabbed Morro's shoulder.

The ghost turned back to him with a pout. "I won't come, okay? You don't have to-"

"No, I-" Lloyd stopped himself, took a deep breath, and began again. "You _have_ been a good guide, and with us being down a ninja, I could…," he looked away and mumbled begrudgingly, "really use your help."

Morro blinked, adding a point to the mental tally of times Lloyd had caught him off guard. Lloyd, whom he thought he had all figured out, and yet continued to surprise him. "...Thanks."

Lloyd nodded, satisfied, and turned away.

"Lloyd."

He waited.

Morro tried to still his shaking hands as he stared at the ground. "I told you I liked Cole, and I want to help get him back. I'm starting to remember bits and pieces of when I was high on the venom. Cole carried me, but he also told me that I should ask for what I was trying to take, so…," He swallowed and forced himself to meet the Green Ninja's eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Morro added a mental tally to the number of times he had caught Lloyd off guard. Even then, though, he didn't think Lloyd could understand just how _hard_ this was for him. He'd grown up on the streets learning to take what he needed, he'd been trained to fight taking what others needed, he'd woken up as a ghost taking what he wanted, he'd possessed Lloyd taking what he'd _always_ wanted… but it had been a long time since he asked. He didn't really know how, didn't want to, was struggling to _humble_ himself to the point of apologizing, but he was trying. He hoped Lloyd could see he was trying.

"I wanted your forgiveness without actually apologizing, and so you had every right to slap me," he continued, even more nervous now that Lloyd wasn't saying anything, wasn't reacting in the slightest or even hinting at his feelings. He always prided himself on being confident even in the face of adversity, and yet this little task had him trembling like a little kid afraid of monsters in the closet. "But, I am… _so sorry_ for what I did to you. Possessing you was… everything I did was… sorry." He finished lamely, unable to find the words.

Lloyd didn't speak for a long time, and Morro was afraid he'd somehow broken him. Just as he was about to poke the Green Ninja, Lloyd shook his head in disbelief. "I… Wow. Um. Thank you, Morro. That… means a lot. It really does, but…,"

Morro was already deflating with disappointment.

Lloyd scrambled to continue, as if wanting to make Morro feel better but unable to give him what he asked for. "I believe you. I believe you've turned around. I believe you really want to be good, and that is _worth_ something." He shook his head again. "But, I just can't forgive you. I'm not sure what you did is forgivable."

Morro nodded miserably.

"But… thank you, okay?" Lloyd repeated. "For… everything you've done for us."

Morro nodded again. Getting "thank you" instead of "I forgive you" was like getting a fish for a new pet instead of a dog. It was a little exciting and you were still grateful… but it wasn't what you really wanted.

Lloyd hesitated, standing there looking at Morro a moment longer, then turned away. "Get ready to go."

Morro nodded.

Meanwhile, Kai was reluctantly having his bandages checked by Nya. "I'm fine, sis," he insisted.

"You actually are healing pretty well," she conceded, sitting back on her heels with a smirk. "I guess all your whining did help."

"Ha ha," he rolled his eyes. "But, Nya…,"

"Uh oh. You have your 'big brother' pants on."

"Hey. I always have them on," he retorted, mock-glaring before reassuming his apologetic but firm tone. "But, Nya, I don't think you should come."

She started, all mirth disappearing instantly from her eyes. "And, _why_ wouldn't I come?"

"'Why?!' Your arm's broken!" He yelled pointing at the limb still tucked into the light blue sling.

"You're injured too!" She argued, reciprocating the accusation by pointing at the wound she had just checked. "Worse than I am!"

"You said yourself that it's healing," Kai explained. "Besides, it hurts, but I can still _fight_. Your entire left arm's useless. How are you going to climb? Or, catch yourself if you fall? Or block an attack?"

"I can manage," she replied steadfastly. "Have you forgotten that I'm the _water_ ninja? You know, basically the only thing that can hurt ghosts?"

"Your arm's a target," Kai countered. "And, if everything goes according to plan, we won't need you."

Okay, that came out _wrong_ , and Kai knew it immediately after he said it, but the damage had already been done.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize I was such a useless addition to the team, even though I singlehandedly drowned the Preeminent," Nya shot back, turning away slightly to hide how much that comment stung.

"Sis, you know I didn't mean it like that-"

"It's because I'm a girl, isn't it?"

Kai recoiled, utter confusion apparent on his face. "What?!" He shook his head. "Nya, you _know_ that it's never been about that. I'm pretty sure I've admitted you're more awesome than me on, like, twelve different occasions." When she still refused to look at him, he touched her shoulder. "Is that what's been bothering you this whole time? Nya, I'm worried because you're hurt and you're my sis-er, _sibling_. It would be the same for any of the guys."

"Really." She fixed him with a disbelieving look.

"Really," he confirmed, nodding. "Look, you say you'll manage, I believe you. Because you're amazing." He nudged her unbroken arm. "And, it's not 'you're amazing _for a girl_.' You're amazing. For a person. Alright?"

She studied him a moment longer, as if gauging his sincerity, then relented and smiled. "That's the most eloquent thing you've ever said, Kai."

"Um… eloquent means cool, right?"

She laughed. "Yes, very cool." She leaned in and wrapped her one good arm around him. "Thanks, big bro."

"No prob, little sis."

* * *

The ninja scaled the garden wall, silently dropping into the flower bushes Gem so lovingly tended. Nya and Kai were predictably much slower, but both managed to accomplish the task without giving away their position. Gem, more threatened by them than she would like to appear, had posted guards around her estate, but like Morro had told them, they were largely incompetent when compared to the ninja's skill. Once the watchman had wandered past in a daze, barely glancing left or right as he continued his round, the ninja easily dashed across the garden without being seen, despite it being in stark daylight. Zane picked the lock on the backdoor in a matter of seconds, and then they were inside the castle.

They were in a dim stone hallway, lit only by torches in sconces on the walls. The red carpet was moth-eaten and encrusted with dirt, and the cliché suit of armor was rusted and missing pieces. The ninja dived into the shadows, but after a sufficient amount of time had passed to determine that they were alone, Lloyd made a hand gesture and they began to skulk down the corridor.

The mission was to find Gem's bedroom. If and when she wanted to sleep, they would be there waiting for her. Of course, they also had to traverse the maze of a castle while avoiding the ghost herself.

They listened at every door and peeked into unoccupied ones, but most of them were empty or obviously relics of previous owners. In any case, they were coated in dust, and more than once they were grateful the ninja hoods mostly protected them from sneezing. The only ghost they had encountered was a chef in the kitchen, mindlessly mixing batter in a bowl, but they doubted he would have noticed them even if they weren't sneaking about. After it seemed they had explored the entire eerily empty first floor, Lloyd opened a heavier, wood door with iron inlays- and clapped a hand over his mouth to stop a gasp from escaping.

Ghosts upon ghosts upon ghosts all squished together in the cellar- sitting or lying down or bumping into one another but all of them were doing… nothing.

A few of them looked up at Lloyd and the other ninja who had gathered behind him to peer down the stairwell, and the leader was ready to give the signal to retreat. Then, the ghosts turned back to staring straight ahead of them, not concerned in the slightest about their arrival.

Jay grabbed Lloyd's shoulder, "That's Cole's mom." He whispered, pointing at a blonde woman who was barely visible in the back of the room through the amalgamation of so many bodies.

"We can't leave her there," Kai decided, moving through the doorway, probably driven by thoughts of his own mother.

"Kai," Lloyd hissed, but the others were already following the red ninja, confident in Gem's absence and the apathy of her slaves that they were safe for the time being. Rolling his eyes but undeniably curious, he closed the door softly behind them and hurried after.

"Would Cole be here by any chance?" Zane asked no one in particular, scanning the faces of the slaves.

"Gem's current big brother?" Morro scoffed. "No way. These must be all the slaves that she's tired of. There's the big brother from yesterday Cole replaced."

"She just… _keeps_ them down here?" Nya asked with disgust apparent in her voice, shivering when the ghost of an old man brushed past her, phasing through her arm. "Like… they're _things_? In _storage_? I mean, why doesn't she just let them go?"

"They're currency," Zane responded. "And having a loved one trapped here introduces the opportunity for more ghosts to come to retrieve them, thus giving Gem an unending supply of new Soul Stones."

"Or, she likes to have things," Morro suggested thoughtfully, cocking his head at a teenage girl who was lying on her side on the floor, immobile though she was conscious. "Maybe she likes the idea of company but not the practice."

Finally, they had cut a path through the completely packed cellar and now stood in front of Cole's mother, who was absently patting the head of the ghost of a little boy. A little boy, who upon closer examination of his ebony hair and stocky build, actually looked similar to how Cole might have at that age.

"Mrs. Cole's Mom?" Kai asked.

She looked up, but her eyes never focused on them. "Cole…," she repeated, dropping her eyes back to the child who was staring straight ahead.

"What's wrong with her?" Kai asked, reaching out to touch her shoulder- only to have his hand phase right through her.

"Gem makes them forget," Jay whispered, staring sadly at the woman who obviously ached for something even if she could never know what it was.

"Forget? Forget what?"

"Everything. They're dolls," Jay shuddered. "She only stole Cole's Mom's Soul Stone to lure him here. That's it. She's sadistic."

"Dying does things to your mind," Morro said, crossing his arms.

"Guys, there's nothing we can do for her now," Lloyd said, placing his hands on his hips. He almost apologized when he whacked someone in the face with his elbow, then remembered that, even if he hadn't phased through the ghost, his victim would hardly have cared. "We can save her _after_ we put the cuffs on Gem and get Cole back."  
Kai sighed and turned away from the tragic sight of a mother missing her child. "Let's go."

* * *

Upstairs was a little more well-kempt than the bottom floor, but that wasn't saying much. It seemed that Gem at least used these rooms if only for the lack of dust, leading them to believe they were getting close to finding her bedroom where they could lie in wait.

The first room they checked appeared to be a playroom. It was huge, first of all, at least the size of the Destiny's Bounty's deck. It was filled to the brim with toys and games, as crowded with things as the cellar was with ghosts. Teddy bears, puzzles, board games, princess dresses, a doll house (they noted with a shudder) and everything else any kid would dream of having. Looking into this room, Gem could have been any other six year old, instead of the ghostly slave mistress they knew her to be.

In the distance, as if from around the corner, they heard, "Hurry _up_ , Big Brother! You're taking forever!"

They all shared panicked glances and with a sharp hand motion from Lloyd, they dove into the room and found hiding spots: Lloyd in a pile of stuffed animals, Zane in a toy chest, Kai and Jay in the wardrobe with the princess dresses, Nya behind said wardrobe, and Morro… well, Morro simply disappeared.

They were hoping Gem would pass by, allowing them to continue their search and/or possibly follow her to their destination.

No such luck. The footsteps stopped directly outside, and the door to the game room opened. They held their breaths.

Cole entered the room with Gem riding on his shoulders. They wanted to cry out upon seeing the utterly blank expression on their brother's face but managed to keep their mouths shut. Gem, meanwhile, gave an exaggerated eye roll.

" _Finally_!" She tapped the top of his head. "Put me down!"

Cole put her down.

"Your mommy said you like cake a lot, so while we wait for Cook to finish that downstairs, let's play a game!" She exclaimed excitedly.

Cole didn't respond. Didn't even nod or shrug.

Gem pouted. "Say that you want to play a game."

"I want to play a game," Cole obeyed, his voice completely devoid of emotion.

"Yay!" She clapped her hands, and the others cringed at how… far removed from reality Gem was that she thought this was a healthy relationship. "What do you want to play?"

Cole said nothing.

"Fine, I'll pick," she said, moving toward the toy chest in which Zane was currently hiding. The ninja tensed, but even if they could receive visual instruction from Lloyd, the Green Ninja had no idea what to do. Either way, they'd blow their cover.

Gem placed her hands on the lid, lifting it half an inch…

She let it fall shut with a huff. "I'm _tired_ of all these games!" She shouted, turning on her heel to glare at Cole as if it was his fault. "What do _you_ do for fun?"

Cole didn't respond.

Gem, frustrated, stomped over to Cole. She bit her lip, and it was the first time they'd seen her as anything other than confident.

"Okay, if I do this, will you promise that you'll still love me and be my big brother and stay with me forever and ever?" She asked, glancing over her shoulder as if afraid to get caught doing something bad. "Say you promise."

"I promise."

"Good," She took a deep breath. "Remember."

Cole blinked rapidly, shaking his head jerkily as if waking up from a bad dream. His eyes werefocused and lucid, and he finally had an expression: puzzlement and a little fear. He remembered, and the others wanted to rush forward and embrace him, but they were in no position to take Gem on with virtually no plan, even if they did have the element of surprise.

"Where…?" The black ninja peered around the room, and then his eyes landed on Gem who was smiling hopefully up at him. "You!"

"Remember your promise!" She said quickly.

"Prom…?" Cole shook his head. "Where's my mom? What did you to do with Jay?"

"Who cares about them?" She replied flippantly, hugging him around the waist. "You have a little sister now!"

Cole pried her arms off of him, pushing her back gently. "You are not my sister, and I am not your brother. We?" He pointed back and forth between them. "Are nothing. I already have a family." He thought a moment and as an afterthought added, "And, I don't belong here."

Gem crossed her arms. "You _promised_! You said you'd still love me! That you'd take care of me forever and ever!"

" _I_ didn't promise anything!" Cole protested, as if shocked he even had to point it out. "You made me, and that is _not_ love." He sighed in frustration. "Look, if there's anything you want to trade for my Soul Stone and my mom's Soul Stone, I can-"

"No! They're mine!" She yelled, stomping her foot. "And, you're a big meanie!"

"Fine," Cole rolled his eyes. "Look, Gem-"

"Forget."

Cole's mouth shut. His eyes went blank.

Gem seemed to hold her breath for a moment, cheeks still puffed out in frustration. Finally, when Cole didn't make a move, she sighed and grabbed his hand that was at least twice the size of her own. "Let's go see if the cake is ready," she said, voice lacking the enthusiasm it held only moments before. She dragged him out of the room, and Cole shuffled after her like the world's most obedient dog.

The door closed.

Slowly, the ninja crawled out of their hiding spots, staring at the door in confused bewilderment.

"Am I the only one who thought that was… kind of sad?" Kai asked, scratching his head.

"You haven't seen her when she's acting like a monster," Jay snapped, crossing his arms. "You wouldn't think it was very 'sad' then."

There was a moment of awkward silence until finally Lloyd cleared his throat. "Nothing changes. We find the bedroom. Let's go."

They all sidled out of the playroom… until Nya glanced over her shoulder to see Morro still frozen in place, staring at the spot where Gem and Cole just had their exchange.

"Morro? You coming?"

The ghost blinked, shaking himself out of his stupor and hurrying to catch up with her and the others. "Huh? Yeah, of course, I'm coming. Try to keep up, will you?"

* * *

 **The ninja have infiltrated Gem's castle! Will their plan go smoothly?! Or will things go horribly wrong?! Tune in next time... XD**

 **In other news, I am very happy to announce that I have HALF of Lloyd's Five Times fully written, and ideas for two of the other three chapters (inspiration is half the battle XD) So, I will begin posting on Monday! Updates will be once a week on Mondays, at least until the whole story is written. Thanks for being patient, everyone!**


	21. All Your Fault

**Thank you so so much to everyone who's taken the time to read, review, favorite, and alert!**

 **Special thanks to LunaMoons, RandomDragon2.0, ABCSKW123-IX, Morro and More, StoriesAreMagic, xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx, RobinLost, Peanut2196, rbrill345, Ebony umbreon, Star, TheYellowNinja, LifeNotPresent, SnowNinjaAJ, MagicWords22, and Nali Nali Nalina for reviewing!**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **rbrill345: Haha, we'll see if Lloyd will ever forgive Morro but** **¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ We'll see if your opinion changes about Gem after this chapter XD Thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **Star: We'll see more about Morro soon! Your thoughts on apologies and forgiveness were very profound! And, CRAZY theory about Gem! We'll see ;D Thank you so much for reviewing (three times! XD)**

 **TheYellowNinja: Haha, Morro did indeed "apo-what-ize!" XD I like your thoughts about Gem! Lloyd's Five Times will be out on Monday! Thank you for reviewing! :D**

 **LifeNotPresent: You have no idea how much your compliments mean to me! You are so so nice! :D I'm glad you like the depth I tried to give Gem! I completely agree that one dimensional bad guys are entertaining... but boring :P "An inspiration?!" Thank you SOOO much! You really made my day!**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: Haha, if you wanted action, there's certainly a lot of if these next two chapters! :D Haha, I'm sorry about your fish XD Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Jay certainly needed some tough love! Morro certainly tried, but Lloyd's just not ready to forgive :'( I'm glad you liked the part with Kai and Nya! :3 And, Cole's mom :'( We'll see about Morro! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

Finally, they found Gem's bedroom. It was pinker and frillier than anything they could have imagined, complete with white vanity table and costume make-up, huge window and pink window seat with approximately three million pillows on it, and a gigantic, four poster, pink canopy bed with three million more pillows and stuffed animals adorning it. The bed was _just_ wide enough for five ninja to hide under it side by side, packed in like sardines. Morro was the only one who didn't hide under it, choosing instead to simply disappear.

The waiting was the hardest part. Several hours passed, and all they could do was watch the sun's light fade from what they could see of the room under the bed skirt, too terrified of Gem appearing suddenly to even whisper. The window made coming and going easier, at least, and in shifts, the ninja left to eat, drink, relieve themselves, and stretch to keep their muscles from getting sore. They were always sure to return as soon as possible though, afraid they'd miss Gem's arrival.

Finally, it was night, the moonlight barely illuminating the room. The darkness seemed to reach inside them and increase the anxiety weighing down on them, and they all became acutely aware of everyone else's breathing that was deafening in the small space.

The moonlight persisted for hours, and just as they were becoming certain Gem was a ghost who chose to never sleep, or had fallen asleep somewhere else, or knew they were here the whole time and was sneaking up right behind them-

She entered the room.

And, _someone else_ entered the room.

"C'mon, Big Brother!" She chirped, any depression from earlier erased from her tone. The ninja shared panicked glances, though they couldn't see each other in the near pitch blackness. They had not counted on Cole's presence. "Let's go to bed! I'm pooped!"

Two pairs of shoes appeared approximately six inches from their faces. One they knew very, very well. The other were miniature dress shoes that did not appear as if they could belong to an evil mastermind.

"Lay down," Gem commanded.

The bed above them sagged as it accepted the weight of the muscular earth ninja, and they held their breaths.

Gem clambered up next, and she sighed contentedly, presumably snuggled up next to her newest toy. "I love you, big brother."

Silence.

"Tell me you love me."

"I love you, Gem."

They heard nothing but heavy breathing and the soft creaking of the bed as the two above them shifted their weights, but they did not emerge. Eventually, a new pair of feet appeared out of thin air- Morro, the only one of them that could see, giving the signal that the ghost pair was asleep.

As silently as cats, the ninja rolled out from under the bed and stood. They were met with the sight of Cole and Gem snoozing contentedly in the very pink bed, nearly getting swallowed by the crowd of stuffed animals joining them. Cole was stiff and unnatural, more like a mannequin than a ghost. Gem was wrapped in a little ball, one arm slung across Cole's massive chest, her head resting ever so daintily on his shoulder.

Lloyd nodded at Jay, and the blue ninja reached for the Vengestone cuffs inside his gi- when Morro waved his hands frantically. At Lloyd's raised eyebrow, the ghost pointed at his neck. Eyes widening, the Green Ninja turned to Gem.

She wasn't wearing the Soul Stone.

Her white party dress now had Soul Stones sewn into it ranging from blue to green instead of red, but the black ribbon with the ebony gem was not around her neck.

Lloyd turned on his heel to gesture for a retreat, because they couldn't risk waking Gem when she didn't even have the Soul Stone on her and they needed to change course, scour the castle for the Soul Stone if it was in fact in the castle at all- but the movement startled Zane, who backed into Jay, who bumped Kai, who stumbled into Nya's broken arm.

She gasped in pain.

Gem's eyes snapped open.

She screamed at the top of her lungs. "Guards! Big Brother, protect me!"

Cole sat up, and Jay lunged to snap the cuffs on her wrists-

Jay was suddenly snatched out of his forward motion and slammed into the floor, his head banging against the stone with a sickening _thud_. He gasped for breath and stared up in shock at Cole who planted a foot in the center of his chest, keeping him pinned to the floor like a butterfly to a corkboard. The black ninja's face was, as always, devoid of emotion.

Just as the bedroom door was kicked open, banging into the adjacent wall, Lloyd ordered, "Get her!"

The ninja moved to pounce-

And stopped.

"You don't _really_ want to attack me."

They didn't really. Couldn't remember why they had wanted to in the first place.

"Guys, fight it!" Jay called, left out of the mass mind control spell, but it came out as a whisper, his lungs unable to accept air after that hit. " _Guys_!"

"In fact, you'll back up right now and let my very, very nice guards put those pretty handcuffs on you."

The five ninja took a step backward.

But, Jay, even from his supine position, could see Gem gritting her teeth with exertion. Finding his voice, he yelled, "Guys, it's hard for her to control all of you at once! Fight it!"

Lloyd and Kai blinked, the vacant expression disappearing from their faces as the other three continued retreating toward the guards, who were slowly approaching with Vengestone cuffs at the ready.

"You know it's really interesting what secrets you can trade the Bone Keeper for," Gem offered conversationally, though her voice was tight and thin as she tried to hold onto control.

Lloyd and Kai, ignoring the bait, moved in tandem and rushed Gem-

"What can you two do? You're just a little boy missing the mommy and daddy he never even appreciated. And, you're a good-for-nothing pain in the neck who nobody can bring themselves to love."

Jay watched in horror as Lloyd and Kai froze, reassuming their blank expressions. He could only assume that their secrets gave Gem's already invasive power of mind control a vulnerable place to penetrate and exploit in their minds, a backdoor to the brain she could so easily manipulate.

But, as her attention drifted to keeping Lloyd and Kai under control, the others were successfully fighting their own psychological chains.

"A little girl trying to pretend she's so much more than what she really is," Gem scoffed at Nya, who gasped softly as she met the bottomless eyes of the child ghost. "You're the one who woke me up, you know. Pathetic excuse for a ninja."

Jay yelled wordlessly as Nya succumbed to the spell once again, and the ghost guards slapped a pair of Vengestone cuffs on her wrists. Cole leaned into the foot on his lungs, cutting him off with a pained gasp.

"The metal man who's too much of a coward to even hold onto the memories he had worked so hard to regain."

Zane shut his eyes, trying desperately to shut out her words.

"Who's so selfish, he would rather forget, squander the gift of life and the opportunity to protect those who cannot protect themselves, than be inconvenienced."

The cuffs closed around Zane's wrists. Kai and Lloyd followed soon after.

Morro clutched his head, cursing quietly under his breath.

Gem pouted, looking more like her usual six year old self. "And, you hurt my feelings, Morro! How could you choose the stupid, selfish humans over your own kind?"

He blinked sleepily at her. "Gem, they're-"

"But, what can you expect from the abandoned orphan who would do anything to feel like he was finally part of a family?"

The guards slapped the handcuffs on Morro.

Jay felt the panic rising in his chest. He was alone. Alone fighting the monster who had single handedly defeated the Green Ninja and the most powerful ghost in the Departed Realm, along with all of his teammates. And, he was next.

Then, he looked up at Cole. Cole, who he had failed. Cole, who would be a slave forever because of him.

Cole, who needed him to be strong.

Jay with a quick jab at Cole's ankle caused the black ninja to lose his balance. With the weight momentarily off his chest, Jay took Cole's legs out from under him and flipped into a standing position, once again reaching for his own pair of Vengestone cuffs-

"And, _you_."

Jay froze, caught by Gem's icy blue glare.

"You caused all of this. You killed Cole in the first place, and you were _glad_ you did it. You deserve to be my slave. You're right where you belong, so why fight it?"

Jay trembled with the effort of resisting her words- but why resist? She was right after all. Why did Jay deserve to be free after everything he had done? After he had killed his best friend out of _insecurity_ , because of a _girl_ -

"No…," he whispered, tears collecting on his eyelids. "I didn't…,"

"You did, Jay," Gem said regretfully, her voice now a low soothing hum despite the viciousness of her words. "It's all your fault. All of it."

Really he should just let it go. What was the point of fighting? Wasn't this a fitting punishment for the evil he had committed…?

Suddenly, Cole was in his field of vision, reaching for the thing he was holding in his hands- what had he been holding again...?

Jay's eyes widened, clutching the Vengestone cuffs protectively against his chest. "No!"

"It's your fault, Jay!" Gem yelled, her voice reassuming the sharp edge, and Jay whimpered at the intensity with which she was attacking his mind. "All. Your. Fault!"

It was his fault.

He saw Cole in front of him again.

It was his fault.

Cole was his brother, and he had killed him.

It was his fault.

Cole was his brother.

It was his fault.

And, he had forgiven him.

 _I don't want to "make you pay" for pushing me that day. I never did._

 _You are not the type of person to hurt your brother intentionally. It's just not who you are._

 _What needs repairment is not between you and Cole but inside yourself._

 _Get_ over _it._

 _At some point, you have to forgive yourself._

"It _is_ my fault," he looked up at Gem.

And, _smiled_.

"And, I forgive myself."

Gem's face drained of the little color it had. " _What_?!" She shrieked, scrambling backward across her huge bed, away from the blue ninja. "No one- no one can resist my mind control! It works on everyone! Everyone!"

Jay smirked, preparing to leap and-

Gem screamed, "Big Brother!"

-and once again he was met with a punch that had all of Cole's super strength behind it, throwing him across the room.

"Jay!"

Groaning, he raised himself up on his elbows to see Nya staring at him in concern. He realized that, in Gem's panic, she had released all of his teammates from their hypnotic spell. Kai moved to help him, and Gem, apparently not so distressed as to lose all her bearings, froze him with one sharp glare. Apparently, though Jay had found a way to resist her, the others weren't so lucky. He was on his own.

Gem, trying to hold onto her fraying composure, reached under her pillow, and pulled out a wicked green blade. The Dark Dagger.

"Here, Big Brother," she said, handing Cole the knife. He accepted it. She turned her hateful gaze on Jay but did not attempt to control him again.

"Take his soul."

Cole turned to Jay, who swallowed. To get to Gem, he was going to have to fight the brother he was trying to save.

He lowered himself into a fighting stance, attempting to project confidence. Inside, he thought, _I'm sorry, Cole_ …

But, on the outside, he only smirked. "Bring it on, Cole."

* * *

 **:O Jay and Cole are going to fight! Who do you think will win?!**

 **Once again, the first chapter of Lloyd's Five Times will be out on Monday!**


	22. Alone

**I know I haven't replied to everyone's reviews yet, but I'm trying to post this super quickly before my next class starts so please don't be mad! I promise I will get around to them!**

 **Special thanks to FropressionalWriter95, StoriesAreMagic, Morro and More, rbrill345, Israa, RandomDragon2.0, Ebony umbreon, ABCSKW123-IX, xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx, Drawkill Vear, Star, TheYellowNinja, Nali Nali Nalina, Peanut2196, Spottedfrost7, LunaMoons, MagicWords22, SnowNinjaAJ, and RobinLost for reviewing! I appreciate each and every one of you (even if I haven't replied to your review yet XD)**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **rbrill345: Haha! We'll see if Jay can save everyone! Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Israa: Aw, thank you so much!**

 **Star: Yep, Jay FINALLY got it through his head that it's okay to forgive himself! I'm glad you thought it wasn't cheesy :D Thank you for reviewing!**

 **TheYellowNinja: Actual tears in your eyes!? That makes me so happy! :D We'll see who wins, but you're absolutely right in your analysis of the situation ;D Thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Aw, I'm glad you thought it was epic! I'm happy you liked that line! I was really trying to convey their nervousness about waiting for Gem to show up :D Powerful climax?! Yay! Jay finally listened to everyone else's (and his own) words :D We'll see if your right about your prediction ;D**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: Haha, sorry! The update is finally here! Haha, the odds are certainly against Jay! We'll see if he can save the day! ;D And, PS: Of COURSE you can draw the cover for Lloyd's Five Times. :D Thanks for reviewing! :D**

* * *

Cole charged Jay like an outraged bull. Jay flipped over him, encouraged by the cheers of the teammates he could hear even if he couldn't spare them a grateful smile. Cole turned on his heel, only changing the direction of his attack- which Jay had expected. The blue ninja dropped to all fours, and Cole tripped over the newly appeared obstacle, crashing to the floor.

Jay was on top of him, grabbing for the knife, but Cole had gotten his legs in position in time so Jay landed on his flat feet instead. Cole pushed his legs up and out, and Jay was rocketed backward, hip clipping Gem's white vanity table.

He barely had time to widen his eyes before the green blade was diving toward his face, and acting on pure instinct, he moved forward, out of the dagger's trajectory- barrelling into Cole and sending them both rolling across the floor.

"Cole, please!" Jay begged, as they landed so he was straddling Cole, one hand pinning his brother's free hand to the floor as he struggled to reach the other…

He gasped as Cole slashed at his fingertips, his brother's face devoid of any emotion aside from a grim determination.

The black ninja used the momentary shock to buck Jay off of him- and then land on top of him, mirroring their last position with the roles reversed. Once again, Jay only saw a flash of green before his ninja instincts allowed him to smack the knife out of Cole's hands.

The Dark Dagger was sent skidding under the bed, and Jay's teammates cheered.

Cole looked helplessly at Gem.

She groaned. " _Fine_." She shrugged. "Just kill him."

Cole turned back to Jay with the new goal in mind- but the pause had been long enough. Jay, catching Cole off guard, whipped him sideways into the stone floor, stunning him.

"Cole, snap out of it!" He begged as he scrambled on top of his brother, simply because he was at a loss of what else to do. Cole was like a bus without a driver, shooting forward in one direction with no one able to step on the brakes- or rather, the only who could step on the brakes was pressing the accelerator instead. Jay had no way to incapacitate him long enough to get the Vengestone cuffs on Gem, unless…

Cole grabbed the front of Jay's gi in both hands and bodily tossed him forward over his shoulders and head so Jay crashed into the ground and rolled over and over until he hit the wall.

Jay desperately tried to force air back into his lungs and push the pain screaming in his head and entire body away because-

He yelped when he felt a sharp kick to the ribs and another to his head.

Jay blinked, suddenly aware he had lost consciousness for a few seconds. He was being dragged across the floor, one of Cole's hands fisted in the back of his gi.

"Cole, _stop_!"

"Don't you do this, Cole! Don't! You can't, you _can't_ -"

"Gem, _enough_ , we'll leave, we'll do anything you want, just _stop_ him!"

Jay, vision still fuzzy, tried to figure out what everyone was screaming about, because it was really hurting his head…

Suddenly Cole lifted him off the ground with one hand by the collar of his gi.

And held him out the window.

Jay, finally regaining his faculties enough to know this was _bad_ , screamed. He was dangling in free space, nothing holding him up except Cole. He felt dizzy as he looked down at the ground far, _far_ below him. He might survive the fall, but he would certainly break an arm or a leg and then Cole could finish him off easily and Cole… wasn't dropping him.

Jay looked at his brother with wide eyes. Cole's face was still blank, but the arm holding Jay up was trembling; not with exertion but… restraint. Cole was trying to stop himself from doing what Gem ordered him to do.

Jay grabbed the hand gripping his gi with both of his own. "I know you're in there, Cole. Fight her. She can't control you."

"No!" Gem shrieked. "Drop him, drop him, drop him!"

Jay's heart stopped as he felt Cole's grip loosen- then tighten, holding him even more firmly than before.

"No…," Cole whispered, a flicker of his old self appearing in his eyes.

"Listen to my voice, Cole," Jay encouraged softly, similarly tightening his own grip. "You can do it. Please, Cole."

"Big Brother, I command you to kill him!"

Cole dropped him.

Jay screamed, knowing it was the end- until he felt someone grab his hand, almost ripping his arm out of its socket and yanking him to a dead stop.

He could hear someone crying inside the bedroom, someone yelling threats at Gem, Gem herself screaming at Cole, but all of that was far away as he looked up into his brother's eyes.

Cole, Cole, _Cole_ was looking back at him, leaning half out the window and breathing like he just ran a marathon, but his eyes were there, present, _Cole_.

"Gotcha," he panted, smiling faintly. "At least we didn't miss this time, right?"

Jay remembered the heart-stopping panic he felt upon realizing he had pushed Cole off the ledge and into the water, lunging for his hand and _missing_ …

Barely able to contain his joy, Jay smiled back. "Yeah," he said, barely above a whisper. Then, out of relief, disbelief, and pure happiness, he laughed. "Good catch."

Cole laughed too, then, with one super strong yank, he pulled Jay up and back into the bedroom.

Jay dropped gracelessly to all fours, breathing in big, gasping breaths as he tried to process his near death experience, and he grinned at his family that cheered upon his reappearance.

"No, no, no!" Gem screamed, standing on her bed and stomping her foot. "You are _my_ big brother, and you have to do what I say! _Kill him_!"

Cole grabbed his head and grunted with the effort of trying to defy Gem's order- but apparently only the panic and adrenaline of losing Jay had been strong enough to wrench himself away from her control. When he looked back up at Jay, the eyes were no longer his own, only the blank reflection of them.

But, Jay was ready for him.

All in one fluid motion, he tackled Cole around the middle, snapped one Vengestone cuff on his wrist and the other to the leg of the bed, rolled under the bed, grabbed the Dark Dagger, scrambled out the other side, and pressed the dagger to Gem's stomach.

The roar of his teammates was deafening as they shouted in victory.

Gem eyes were as wide as dinner plates, suddenly a terrified six year old instead of a cruel slave mistress.

"You can _try_ to control me," Jay snarled. "It _might_ work, and then you'll be free and have all of us as slaves, but if it doesn't, well…," his gaze dropped to the blade in his hand. "And, it didn't work before, so I'm not sure I would like those odds if I were you."

Gem's lip trembled. "Big Brother…?"

Cole struggled like a rabid dog against his chain, but with the Vengestone taking away his super strength, he couldn't break free.

The five incapacitated ninja drifted closer, now no longer afraid of feeling the wrath of Gem's mind control. Zane took the keys from one the guards now standing idly by and began freeing himself and the others from their Vengestone handcuffs.

Lloyd immediately moved forward and snapped his own handcuffs on Gem while Jay kept the blade pressed to her midsection. "Where's Cole's Soul Stone, Gem?" He demanded.

"And, his mom's," Kai added.

But, Gem was glaring at them with the unique stubbornness of a child. "I'll never tell, you big meanies! I knew you might come so I hid them somewhere really, really good and you'll never find them so _there_." She stuck her tongue out.

Jay pressed the dagger harder against her midsection. "Need I remind you…?"

Her eyes dropped to the knife, visibly trembling. "You wouldn't. You don't have the guts."

She hesitantly looked back up at Jay, wincing in anticipation. She was calling Jay's bluff and not sure she was right.

"If you take her Soul Stone, you can make her tell you," Nya suggested, levelling a hateful glare at the ghost.

Lloyd thought about it, then nodded. "Do it, Jay."

And Jay was about to thrust the knife deep into her skin, twist, reach in, take her Soul Stone-

He looked at her big, round, blue eyes. She wasn't using her magic, but they were hypnotic all the same.

"I can't," he sighed, though he didn't remove the blade. "She's just a _kid_ , guys."

"Jay, she is older than us," Zane reminded him. " Do not be deceived by her appearance."

Jay bit his lip. "You didn't see how she did it! It's gruesome! Inhumane." He shuddered at the memory. "I couldn't do that to anyone. No matter what they've done."

"Oh, for Pete's sake!" Morro groaned, stepping forward. "If you won't do it, I will."

Jay, after receiving a nod of approval from Lloyd, allowed Morro to take the Dark Dagger, though they were careful to keep the same amount of pressure applied.

She glared up at Morro.

Morro stared back down at her.

He removed the knife and crossed his arms. "You're a real brat, you know that?"

The other ninja were gaping at Morro in horror. Gem blinked.

" _What_?"

"You're a brat," Morro repeated nonchalantly, studying the Dark Dagger as if it were a new watch or ring instead of a deadly weapon. "You collect all these Soul Stones because you're a little kid with too much power. You don't want to admit it, but you are so, _so_ terrified of being alone, so desperate for love, that you play with these dolls to fill the hole in you." He raised his eyes to hers. "But, it doesn't work, does it?"

Her eyes were full of unshed tears. "Shut up! You don't know anything about me! You don't know _anything_ , Morro!"

"Course I do." He replied instantly, then shrugging, he continued, "Because _I'm_ a little kid with too much power that's terrified of being alone."

She stared. The ninja stared. No one spoke.

Morro rolled his eyes. "Look, I know nothing about kids- and you seem like a real handful- and I'm probably going to _suck_ at this, but if you want to try… I don't think having a little sister would be the _worst_ thing in the world."

She was shaking so bad the whole bed creaked in time with her tremors. "Are you saying… you want to be my big brother?"

Morro nodded, an embarrassed smile on his face. "Yeah."

"And you'll take care of me?"

"Only if you take care of me."

"And you'll stay by my side forever and ever and never leave me?"

He nodded solemnly. "Forever and ever."

Her face scrunched up, "Morro…,"

"There's only one catch, Gem," he said, gesturing at Cole, who was still clawing at his restraints, completely oblivious to the exchange taking place less than five feet away. "You have to let them go."

She raised an eyebrow. "Them?"

"All of them."

Her face went lax when she- and everyone else- realized when Morro said all of them, he meant _all_ of them: every single ghost they'd seen in the cellar. The thousands of souls Gem had collected over the years.

Suddenly, she puffed her cheeks out in anger, and the others prepared to fight, even knowing she was incapable of using her mind control now. They weren't taking any chances.

But, she only snapped, "How do I know this isn't a trap? I let them go, and then you leave me here all… alone…," she lost steam by the end of the sentence, voice catching.

Morro pondered this a moment, then crouched so he and Gem were eye level. He turned the Dark Dagger around in his hand and presented the handle to her. The ninja tensed, but Lloyd, watching Morro warily, signalled to them to wait.

"I'm going to stay by your side forever and ever," Morro said gently. "If you want it to be as a slave, fine. Take my Soul Stone." He lowered his voice, as if they were sharing some great secret, though everyone could still hear what he said next. "But, believe me, Gem, it's a lot better to be given what you can take."

Gem hesitantly gripped the Dark Dagger, staring at it as if she had never seen it before in her life, then raised her eyes to Morro's.

"So, what's it going to be, Gem?" He asked, opening his arms wide. In doing so, he left himself open for Gem to slash at his stomach and steal his Soul Stone. Or, he was simply welcoming a hug. "Want to be the most dysfunctional family in the Departed Realm?"

The knife trembled as she glanced back and forth between it and Morro.

She dropped it and threw herself into Morro's arms, wordlessly sobbing into his shoulder. His arms locked around her small body, and he buried his face in her shoulder as well.

None of the ninja could move for several moments, shocked into stillness not only by the reformation of one of their arch-enemies but also Gem's readiness to give up everything, _everything_ she had built in all her years here for that one promise of real affection.

"I guess Master Wu was right," Zane said, his tone the epitome of disbelief. "The best way to defeat a foe," he nodded at Gem, "is to make her your friend."

Suddenly, Lloyd remembered when that same phrase had been used to refer to him.

When he had been so desperate to be close to his dad in any way he could, to be like him, to prove he wasn't alone in the world, he had opened the Serpentine tombs.

When Master Wu and the ninja had forgiven him and accepted him even after everything he'd done.

When he had become the Green Ninja, defeated the Overlord, and made up for all the bad he had committed.

When he had become a new person.

And, now, looking at Morro, it was not the face of the ghost who had possessed him, the face that had haunted too many nightmares to count. It was the face of someone who had seen a scared, lost little kid where Lloyd saw an evil slave mistress. It was the face of someone who had given mercy where Lloyd could spare none. It was the face of someone who had used love where Lloyd had wanted to use hate.

It was the face of a new person.

* * *

 **Shout out to RandomDragon2.0 and RobinLost (and anybody else I'm forgetting) who guessed that Morro would offer to be Gem's big brother ;D What did you guys think about the turn of events?**

 **Also, there was a problem with "Five Times Lloyd Was a Pain" when I posted it on Monday, and it wouldn't let anybody read it. As far as I know it's fixed now, so check that out if you haven't already ;D**


	23. Remember

**Sorry I'm posting so late everyone! But, at least I got around to everyone's reviews, right? *sweat drop***

 **Special thanks to Morro and More, Ebony umbreon, Tex1412, rbrill345, Drawkill Vear, musicalsaregood, RobinLost, xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx, ABCSKW123-IX, , Spottedfrost7, personlikeme269, RandomDragon2.0, DancingQueen1285, PrairieSkies, MagicWords22, Peanut2196, Star, TheYellowNinja, SnowNinjaAJ, Xaos, StoriesAreMagic, Israa, and Nali Nali Nalina for reviewing! I love you all!**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **rbrill345: Haha, I'm glad you thought it was so cute! XD And you cried?! That makes me so happy! :D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Star: The best ending in the world?! I'm so happy you liked it! I was afraid people would think it was cheesy :/ Aw, and it almost made you cry? I'm so glad! XD Thanks for reviewing!**

 **TheYellowNinja: Haha, I'm so happy you liked all the parallels! You're right, I was very happy to bring this story full circle and finally make all of these links and connections XD Good idea about Cole's mom! We'll see… ;D "Amazing" AND "incredible!?" Stop! (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ The story is unfortunately coming to an end :( But, we still have a few chapters to go! :D Aw, you are so nice! Thank you so much for your incredibly kind reviews! :D**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: "Perfect?!" (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ You are way too kind! I definitely agree that Lloyd and Morro have a ton in common, so maybe Lloyd is finally starting to see that… And, we'll see about Dr. Julien… Of course! It makes me so happy when you make art for me! :D I can't wait to see it! Happy birthday! And, thanks for reviewing!**

 **Xaos: This was one of my favorite chapters to write! Aw, "absolutely beautiful!?" (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ I'm so happy you liked that line! I really wanted to draw a parallel with chapter one, so… XD I love Morro, so of course I wanted to make him even more lovable! :3 "Talent?!" Once again, (＃⌒∇⌒＃)ゞ I am very sad to say the story is almost over :( But, don't worry, we still have a few more chapters to go! Thank you so much for this very kind review! :D**

 **Israa: Of course! I love replying to reviews because I want to express how much each and every one means to me! But, never feel pressured to leave one! I know how real life gets *eyeroll* Aw, I'm glad you liked the balance between action and emotion :D Lloyd *might* be finally warming up to Morro, but we'll see ;D Aw, the chapter made your morning? I am SOOO glad! Thank you so so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Yep, they came very close to reenacting chapter one! Thankfully, Cole was able to take control back at the last second! Jay can be an epic fighter when he puts his mind to it! Morro is probably the only who could relate to Gem, considering all the bad stuff they've done (which we'll touch on this chapter :D) I'm so happy you caught all of the past references in Morro's speech! Haha, we'll see how Lloyd reacts this chapters :D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

"Remember."

Cole blinked sleepily, all of his memories rushing back into his head at once and making him reel with the flood of information. He reached to rub his eyes-

His hand was yanked to a stop, and he looked down to see he was handcuffed to a bed.

And, then it all came back to him- the fight, the Dark Dagger, beating Jay, throwing him out the window-

"Jay?!" He yelled, looking up and searching all the faces frantically. He saw Lloyd, Zane-

Jay tackled him, wrapping his arms around him in a vice grip. "Cole!"

The black ninja reciprocated the hug with his one free arm, pulling his brother as tightly as he could against his chest and with that tried to release all of his panic and relief and happiness and _fear_. "Jay! You're okay! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't want- she made me- I'm _sorry_ -"

"Stop." Jay said quietly but firmly. "There's been way too much guilt and self-pity going around."

Cole blinked. Then, a smile grew on his face. "Yeah, you're right. Moving on…," he tugged uselessly at his trapped left arm, making the chain rattle. "Please tell me you have the keys for these."

Jay laughed, pulling away, and then everyone else laughed, and then Cole laughed and then everyone was laughing even though, really, it wasn't even that funny. Nonetheless, Zane brandished the keys and unlocked the Vengestone cuffs before following Jay's example and hugging his brother.

As Cole stood, hugging each of his remaining family members, reassuring them of his presence and safety, he noticed something was missing.

Some _one_.

"Where's Gem?" He demanded, brow furrowing. "And Morro? Did she get away?"

"Morro single-handedly reformed Gem, and in offering to be her big brother, made her see the error of her ways. They plan to release all of the souls she's captured, starting with yours, which they left to retrieve," Zane explained.

Cole blinked slowly twice. "What."

"Just know that Morro got Gem to agree to return your Soul Stone," Nya clarified. "It was… incredible. And completely unexpected. But, also sweet." She sighed in exasperation. "It was a lot of things."

Cole shook his head in bewilderment. "Sorry I missed it." He glanced warily at the door. "Do we trust her word? Do we trust Morro?"

"Yeah," Lloyd said quietly, as if he himself didn't quite believe it. "We do."

Before anybody could sufficiently balk at that statement, the door creaked open hesitantly.

Gem padded in, and nobody could stop themselves from tensing up in preparation of an attack even with one Vengestone cuff still locked around her wrist, the other trailing behind her, especially considering Morro was nowhere in sight. The little ghost shuffled up to Cole, stopping directly in front of him with both hands behind her back. Cole could not stop himself from leaning away from her, still disgusted and afraid despite what the others had told him.

She presented one palm to him, and in it were two halves of a little black rock with a silver spiral. Not meeting his eyes, she whispered, "I'm sorry, Big-" She shook her head and began again, "I'm sorry, Cole."

Cole, shocked into absolute silence, hesitantly reached out and took the two halves of his Soul Stone from her, staring down at them in awe now huddled together in his own palm.

"And, here's this," Gem continued, revealing what she held in her other hand.

It was a whole Soul Stone, similar in appearance to Cole's in that it was pitch black. When he held it up to the moonlight, though, one could see it was coated in golden sparkles that shimmered merrily. Cole accepted it as well but frowned in confusion.

"Who-"

"Right this way," they heard Morro's voice just outside the door, and a moment later the ghost himself appeared, leading a blonde woman by the hand.

Cole caught his breath, gaze moving rapidly between his mother and the Stone in his hand, before he turned back to Gem, eyes wide with disbelief.

"You have to tell her to remember," Gem instructed quietly, a little, hopeful smile on her face. "I can't control her- or you- anymore."

Cole was quiet a moment longer. Then, taking a deep breath, he said, "Thank you."

Gem gave a small nod.

The others were grinning in anticipation as Cole drifted closer to his mother, who was still staring blankly ahead despite the fact that her Soul Stone had switched owners.

Watching her face carefully, Cole whispered, "Remember."

The woman was still a moment longer. Then she blinked, once, twice, three times, shaking her head back and forth. She rubbed her hands over her face and searched the room blearily, forehead wrinkling in confusion.

"Where…?" Her green eyes travelled over each of their faces without an ounce of recognition in her eyes. "Where am I?" Finally, she focused on the person directly in front of her holding her Soul Stone, who smiled sheepishly back at her. "Who are-"

She stopped.

Moved forward.

Reached out a hand.

Studied the ebony locks, those eyes, that little, innocent smile, that looked so much like- but, this boy was older- but he looked undeniably similar to-

"Cole?" She whispered.

Cole swallowed, nodding. "Hi, Mom."

She smiled, then stopped short, looking him up and down, taking in his entire appearance. "You're... dead?" She shook her head in despair. "And, so young…,"

"No, Mom," Impulsively, he took her hand, as if not sure he would be allowed to. She didn't pull away; she squeezed his in response. "It's… hard to explain. I'm a ghost, but I'm not dead. I still live in Ninjago, with them," he nodded at the ninja over his shoulder, who waved.

She quirked an eyebrow but eventually nodded, a smile growing on her face as she looked him up and down yet again.

Finally, she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him.

Cole trembling with the joy of finally receiving what he'd wanted for so long, for so long, hugged her back. His body nearly swallowed hers; his mother was as delicate as a porcelain doll, short and thin, and Cole was almost afraid he'd break her in his grip.

"You're so big now," she whispered. "And, _strong._ " She laughed, becoming aware of the muscles bulging beneath Cole's skin, of how much restraint he was having to use to keep from crushing her. "What happened?"

He shrugged against her, still not ready to let go. "Grew up, I guess."

Her face fell. "You grew up," she pulled out of the embrace in favor of touching his cheek softly. He leaned into her hand. "You grew up, and I missed it."

He shook his head, "It's okay, Mom-"

"No. You deserve an explanation," she glanced about the room, remembering they had an audience. "Is there anywhere we could speak privately?"

The ninja suddenly reanimated, clearing their throats and looking away as if they hadn't just been watching every moment of their reunion intensely. "Uh, sorry," Lloyd offered, moving toward the door and gesturing for the others to follow. "We'll leave you to it."

"C'mon, Gem." Morro held out his hand for the little ghost, who excitedly bounded up to him and accepted it, following the others out of the room.

Once they were alone, Cole tried to reassure his mother. "Mom, it's-"

"Sit," she commanded, and Cole was so, so overjoyed to hear her "mom" tone again, the voice she'd used when he was being especially unruly, the voice that meant big trouble if he disobeyed, the voice he'd hated as a kid but would have traded anything to hear _one more time_ …

Almost by compulsion, he perched on the edge of Gem's mattress, looking up at her.

His mother sighed, then moved to sit next to him, taking his right hand in both of hers. "I don't know how much your dad told you."

"Not much. A lot of it I figured out on my own."

"But, you know I had a drinking problem."

"...yeah."

They sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment.

"You have a right to be angry, Cole," she said eventually, studying the hand she held in her lap.

"I'm not angry," he said immediately, looking down at the Soul Stones cupped in his palm. "I guess, I just… _why_?"

His mother nodded in grim acceptance, knowing the question was coming sooner or later. "It was a combination of things. Part of it was postpartum depression I never got over. But, mostly, I was just never cut out to be a mother. Too selfish. Childbirth wrecked my body and ruined my dancing career. Staying home and watching the baby ended my singing tours. I only ever wanted to be on stage, and when I couldn't-"

She gasped upon seeing Cole's crestfallen expression. "See, there I go again, only thinking about myself. Cole… Baby… I loved you the minute I had you, and I've loved you every second after. I always _wanted_ to be your mother, believe me, I did, I-" she took a deep breath. "I just wasn't very good at it. And, Lou was too indulgent." Suddenly, she turned to Cole, eyebrows raised. "Your father… he's still around, isn't he? He's doing alright?"

Cole nodded, smiling fondly at the mention of his dad. "Yeah. Still part of the Royal Blacksmiths."

His mother giggled with an affectionate eye roll. "Of course he is." She shook her head. "That man worshipped the ground I walked on, which is probably the reason my drinking got as bad as it did."

Cole smiled faintly before reassuming his troubled expression. "But, he tried to get you to stop. I remember."

She nodded. "The only thing he loved more than me…," she turned to Cole, running a hand through his hair. "Was you."

She sighed, continuing. "Once it was so bad, he told me I was putting you at risk and that he couldn't trust me home alone with you anymore. He actually threatened to divorce me if I didn't stop. Take full custody of you." She dropped her head into one hand with a sigh, though the other she kept locked around Cole's. "And, you think that would've been enough to get me to stop, but I couldn't help it, baby. I just got better at hiding it, at acting like I didn't need it while he was around. And, I _used_ you to do it. I never should have put so much pressure on you to hide it, Cole. Never. And, then I woke up here-"

She cut herself off with another gasp. "Wait. You didn't… _find_ me, did you?"

Cole hesitated, wanting to spare her the pain, but ultimately he decided that here, now, they needed complete honesty. Wincing, he nodded, unable to voice the memory aloud.

Her face crumpled. "Oh, baby." She moved to hug him again, and he gratefully accepted the embrace, unable to hide his shaking in her arms. "Oh, baby, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm-" Her voice caught in a sob.

"It's okay, Mom," he tried to reassure her though his own voice was husky with unshed tears. "I know you didn't mean to."

"No, not just that." She sat back but she was still dry-sobbing, burying her face in her hands as if she could hide her shame. "Once I woke up here, I couldn't drink away my problems anymore. It's like I could remember everything in so much clarity. All those times I forgot to give you lunch. All those times we woke you up with our fighting. All those performances I missed…,"

She grabbed his hand again in both her own and clutched it to her chest. "You know I would take it all back if I could, right, baby? If I could go back in time, I would do it all differently. I would be a better mother." She laughed ruefully. "I know it doesn't mean much now."

"No, no, it does," he said hurriedly, his tone nothing but genuine. "Because, all this time I thought… I thought…,"

This time, he was the one who broke down in sobs.

His mother, understanding without another word, embraced him yet again, rubbing the back of the son she had never been there to comfort before. "No, baby, it was never your fault." She whispered. "I had a problem for a lot of reasons, but you were never one of them."

* * *

"If your Soul Stone is sewn into one of Gem's dresses, head upstairs and wait patiently in the game room. If you see your Soul Stone in this arrangement, grab it but _don't_ take anyone else's. If you don't know your destination in the Departed Realm, head to the library. If you have your Soul Stone and know where you're headed, then don't let the door hit you on the way out," Morro instructed in his best imitation of a helpful flight attendant, his tone only marginally ironic. "And, if you don't have any idea what's going on, direct your attention to any one of the brightly colored buffoons."

He stood amidst the thousands of dazed souls filing out of the cellar, looking around and squinting as if seeing the light of day for the first time in years. Gem, true to her word, had released all of her captured souls, and now they were regaining their memories and _trying_ to gather their bearings, though swallowed in the crowd as they were, the entire bottom floor was understandably a cesspool of confusion. Morro was attempting to direct traffic in the best way he could while the other ninja hurried back and forth, leading ghost after ghost to the designated areas to hopefully implement some sense of order. Even Gem herself was trying to help, but her former slaves predictably fled from her; needless to say, she caused more problems than she solved, much to her frustration.

"Morro."

The ghost only spared half a glance over his shoulder at Lloyd, noticing Kai hovering over the Green Ninja's shoulder, before turning back to the horde of ghosts parting around him. "Can it wait?"

He wasn't trying to snub Lloyd or hold some sort of grudge, but he was a _little_ busy at the moment and trying to earn Lloyd's forgiveness suddenly didn't seem so important now that he had the promise of a family, someone who needed him just as much as he needed-

Lloyd grabbed his shoulder and physically turned him around so they were facing each other. "No. It can't."

Morro raised an eyebrow, still acutely aware of the throng of lost sheep wandering aimlessly around them, but inclined his head in acknowledgment. "Okay. What is it?"

Lloyd took a deep breath. Kai patted his shoulder encouragingly. Morro tried to prepare himself for whatever was so important but found himself at a loss.

Lloyd held out his hand.

Morro peered at the outstretched hand, brow furrowed in confusion. "What does that mean?"

Now it was the Green Ninja's turn to be confused. "You don't know what a handshake is?"

"Of course I know what a handshake is. I'm not _that_ old," Morro snapped irritably, rolling his eyes. "What does it mean? We've already met."

"Well, it means I respect you now," Lloyd hesitantly met the ghost's eyes. "And, it means I forgive you."

 _I forgive you._

Morro froze.

"You saw in Gem what none of the rest of us could, and got through to her without raising a fist," Lloyd continued, hand trembling self-consciously now that Morro still hadn't taken it. "That's not just remorse, but true _reform_ , and…," he smiled sheepishly. "I remembered that I was given a second chance on a lot less, so… yeah. I forgive you, Morro."

Morro looked at Lloyd. Looked back at the waiting hand. Back at Lloyd. Back at the hand.

Hesitantly, he reached out his own hand, glanced at Lloyd one last time as if to make sure he wouldn't pull away at the last second… and then grasped the hand of the Green Ninja and shook it, a half smile of amazement growing on his face. Lloyd offered a small smile of his own in response.

Kai stepped in as the handshake ended. "Okay, but that's also what I wanted to ask you about," he glanced over his shoulder, and Morro followed his gaze to Gem, who was yelling at some poor, frightened ghosts to "move their fat butts" and Zane and Nya were rushing to do damage control. "It was amazing what you did, Morro- though I usually prefer spectacular fight scenes with a few explosions thrown in for good measure, but whatever- but… is this what you _want_?"

When Morro didn't respond right away, Kai continued, "I mean, you just swore to stay by that little psychopath's side for the rest of your… well, eternity, I guess."

Morro squinted at Kai in utter confusion. "Why do you care?"

Kai blushed and looked away, sputtering, "What? Pfft. I don't _care_ , that would be- pfft…,"

Lloyd elbowed the red ninja. "What he's trying to say is that he's a big softie and wants you to be happy. I mean," he shrugged bashfully. "You have done a lot for us, and you kind of saved the day just now, so…,"

 _Wants you to be happy._

Someone- someones- all of them- just wanted him to be happy. Almost as if he was a part of them, almost as if he belonged to their-

"I said, I'm trying to _help_ you now!" Came Gem's shrill voice.

Morro laughed, shaking his head. "I _am_ happy," he asserted, and quite possibly for the first time in his life, it was true. "She's not a psychopath. She's just messed up. She's messed up, I'm messed up, we've both done some pretty messed up things. Helping her fix her messed up things is helping me fix mine." He shrugged. "We get each other." Pondering that a moment, he amended, "We belong together."

Lloyd and Kai shared a quick look. Lloyd nodded in approval, looking almost… _proud_ in Morro's mind, before turning back to help with the mass of bumbling ghosts. Kai made to join him, but Morro snagged his sleeve, causing the red ninja to turn back as Lloyd went on.

"I, um." Morro was once again more than grateful ghosts couldn't blush. "I, um, remembered what you said. About how it matters what I do now, not about my… you know."

Kai didn't say anything for a moment, studying Morro with a perplexed look on his face. The ghost felt the mortification creeping in, and he wished he could disappear- well, he could, but Kai would know he was still-

Kai moved suddenly and shoved something in Morro's face, causing the ghost to recoil and blink rapidly to focus on the thing now about an inch away from his eyeballs.

Kai laughed as Morro swiped the object out of his hand- and stared down at the… glowing, box thing Kai had let him play so many nights ago.

"I charged it using Zane as a power source," the red ninja explained. "I doubt you'll be able to call anyone, but the games will still work. I've got a bunch on there, so hopefully you won't get bored any time soon. You'll just have to figure out a way to charge it once it dies."

Morro blinked down at it. "You're… giving this to me?"

"Yeah," Kai shrugged. "I can get a new one back home. There's just one condition."

Morro's eyes shot up to Kai's, tightening his grip on one of the very few gifts he had been given in his life to keep it from disappearing. "What?"

Kai smirked. "I need to hear you call it by the right name."

Morro rolled his eyes. "Cell phone. There, happy?"

Kai balked. "It was that easy?! Why couldn't you say it before?"

"I couldn't remember," Morro turned away. "Or, I was just messing with you."

"B-but-"

"I guess you'll never know," Morro threw over his shoulder as he started walking away to herd the wayward ghosts. "But… thanks."

Kai blinked, staring at Morro's retreating back, before he grit his teeth and groaned, wondering how someone could be endearing and yet so infuriating at the same time.

* * *

 **So, just to let everyone know, the story is sadly drawing to a close. I *think* there will be two or three more chapters :(**

 **That being said, I've actually been seriously thinking about making a sequel! It would take place after Skybound and tie into a VERY AUish Day of the Departed. It would certainly feature Morro and involve the ninja travelling back to the Departed Realm. Though I've got the plot blocked out, it would still be a little while before I actually begin publishing it. PLEASE let me know if you would be interested in reading that!**

 **In other news, I've also been thinking about adding Morro onto my Five Times list, though his will be different than the others'. It would take place when Morro is a kid (before he died) and focus on his relationship with Master Wu instead of his relationship with each of the ninja. (Working title: "Five Times Morro Trusted Master Wu") PLEASE let me know if you would be interested in reading that as well!**

 **And finally, with school being so busy, it doesn't really make sense for me to update my Five Times on Monday SO updates are moving to Sunday! (Meaning the next chapter of Lloyd's will come out tomorrow!) Once I finish Lost Soul, updates will then move to Saturdays! (I know it's confusing, but it's what works best for me! XD)**

 **Anyway this author's note has gotten long, so thanks for reading! XD**


	24. I Despise All of You

**I *think* there will be one more chapter after this one (maybe two), but I am happy to officially announce that there will definitely be a sequel to Lost Soul! Thank you so much for all the support, everyone! I never would have considered the possibility of a sequel without all of your kindness! :D**

 **Special thanks to ABCSKW123-IX, YinYangBroandSis, SnowNinjaAJ, TheYellowNinja, Peanut2196, Ebony umbreon, Israa, Spottedfrost7, RandomDragon2.0, xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx, nanigirl15, xXLea HenceXx, Star, DarkRed101, Drawkill Vear, Morro and More, rbrill345, PrairieSkies, StoriesAreMagic, ItsOverIsntIt, and Nali Nali Nalina for reviewing! I love you all!**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **SnowNinjaAJ: Aw, I am so honored to have brought tears to your eyes! "Perfect?!" You're so nice! :D I'm so glad you like my new story ideas! :D Thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **TheYellowNinja: I'm so glad I made your night! :D I agree with you that Gem and Morro will be good for each other. Like Morro said, they get each other. And, he finally earns Lloyd's forgiveness! I definitely think Cole needed to have that conversation with his mom for his own emotional well-being :D I am super excited about writing my new stories! Thank you so much!**

 **Israa: Aw, thank you so much for your kind words and being understanding about school! (I've got three tests this week... :/) I think there was a bit of confusion though! The sequel to Lost Soul will tie into an AUish Day of the Departed- that's not it's own story. Sorry for the misunderstanding! Thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **xXLea HenceXx: Aw, thank you so much! :D**

 **Star: Haha, I'm glad you liked that line! XD I am super excited about the sequel as well! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **rbrill345: Haha, I'm so glad you love it! Thank you so much! :D**

 **ItsOverIsntIt: Oh my goodness, your review made my entire WEEK! Thank you so so so much for your kind words! They mean a lot :D**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Haha, Kai's always got Lloyd's back :3 He's such a softie at heart :3 Morro finally earned forgiveness, and Cole got to talk with his mom! Happy endings all around! :3 Aw, I'm happy you're excited about my writing! Thank you so much!**

* * *

Considering how many petrified, utterly lost souls Gem had trapped in her cellar, getting all of them where they needed to go was certainly a herculean task. The ninja had had to take shifts, especially since they hadn't slept the night before. Everyone except for Lloyd, who had pushed himself to keep going even when he felt exhaustion creeping in, determined to help these poor, abused souls.

"Lloyd," Zane touched the Green Ninja, who was dozing on his feet, on the shoulder.

"Hm?" Lloyd hummed sleepily, half-turning to look at the nindroid with drooping eyes.

"Lloyd, you should sleep."

"No, I'm good," Lloyd protested, shaking his head. "I'm not even tired."

Zane grabbed the Green Ninja by the shoulders, physically pushing him toward Gem's numerous bedrooms while their brothers and sister snickered at his expense. Lloyd tried to argue, but most of his words came out slurred and he was too weak to fight against Zane's grip.

"You trust us to know our own limits, yet you do not know your own."

Lloyd grumbled something incomprehensible as Zane pushed him into a bedroom, but obediently burrowed into the huge, floral print quilt and fell asleep.

Zane chuckled at Lloyd's stubbornness- then gasped when he heard something tapping on the window. He looked up-

A bird-

A falcon-

His _father's_ -

Glancing worriedly at Lloyd, Zane confirmed that the Green Ninja was snoring. Sidling over to the window, he unlocked it and pushed the glass up and out of the way. The robotic falcon perched on the windowsill with a friendly caw.

"Shh." He held up a finger to his lips with another glance at the still slumbering Lloyd. "Not here, my friend."

Understanding, the falcon flapped its wings and landed ever so gracefully on Zane's shoulder. The nindroid hurried into an adjacent unoccupied room and shut the door softly behind him.

"Okay," Zane whispered although they were alone. He was almost trembling with anticipation as, with an intense rush of deja vu, he watched the falcon's chest plate shift out of place. The bird dropped the flash drive in his hand with an affectionate coo.

"Thank you," he said, patting its head gently.

Then, he plugged the flash drive in.

"Zane!" His father was in much the same setting as before: disorganized lab, familiar white lab coat, a joyous smile on his face. The nindroid's heart leapt into his throat, and he almost wanted to cry. "You have no idea how overjoyed I was to receive your message! It has been much, much too long since we have seen each other.

"That being said, you shouldn't always be so serious," Dr. Julien chuckled. "I can tell your humor switch is off."

Zane blinked, utterly confused.

"I only ever intended for you to hear my message once you were already dead, Zane. I never imagined you might come across it while you were still alive!" Dr. Julien shook his head affectionately. "You are so worried about getting here, and believe me, I miss you almost more than I can bear, but… I created you to be amongst the living, not the dead. So, go and _live_ , son. Be with your family, do everything that there is to do, go and be _happy_ … and only when you have nowhere else to go… only then come home."

Dr. Julien smiled. "I love you, Zane, but please don't hurry up your death on my account. I will be waiting here for however long it takes."

* * *

When Jay opened the door several minutes later during his search for the wayward nindroid, he coudn't tell if Zane was laughing or crying.

"Zane, are you-"

Jay squeaked as he was tackled in bone-crushing hug.

"I'm ready to go back, Jay," Zane asserted, still laughing-crying. "I'm ready to go back."

Jay, not really understanding what had affected the nindroid so much, chalked it up to Zane's usual weirdness. But, remembering how strong Zane had always been, how, that very first day, he had forgiven Jay for pushing Cole and hugged him when Jay would've fallen apart otherwise, how Zane had always, _always_ been there for them, Jay hugged him back as tightly as he could. It was a long time before Zane let him go.

* * *

Lloyd started awake. He was in a bed- in a guest room of Gem's castle he remembered- and as he studied the heavy, flowery quilt that reminded him of a cliché grandma's couch he tried to recall the events that led up to him finding himself here.

He had shaken Morro's hand (which in an of itself was so surreal, he thought it might have been a dream), and then they had run around for several hours trying to help all the ghosts get to where they needed to go. He thought he could remember something about Zane...

Lloyd chuckled, running a tired hand over his face. The Green Ninja rolled off the mattress and stretched his tired limbs, heading out in search of his team.

It wasn't hard to pinpoint their location when he saw the door to the library open down the hall with light and the murmur of voices emanating from it. As Lloyd approached, he heard laughter, and then the voice of Cole's mother saying, "Okay, okay, I think I got it. Kai is the red one, Jay is the blue one, and Zane is the one who is… sort of a robot? I'm still a little hazy on that detail."

Cole laughed, "Yes, _finally_ you got it. I was on the verge of making flashcards."

Lloyd stepped in the threshold to see all five of his ninja lounging on the floor or various pieces of furniture that populated the impressive library that itself was filled to the brim with dusty books which obviously had not been removed from their shelves in a long time. Cole sat beside his mother on a cushioned bench, Kai and Jay were laying on the floor, Nya was sitting on the edge of a large desk in front of the window framing the rapidly diminishing sunlight, and Zane say daintily on a nearby footrest. Behind the desk in a huge swivel chair though, slightly separate from everyone else if still part of the conversation, was Morro with Gem snoozing contentedly in his lap, snuggled up to his chest while Morro fondly stroked her hair.

Jay gasped upon noticing Lloyd's arrival, "It's alive!" He shrieked in mock-terror, eliciting laughter from the others.

"Ha ha," Lloyd said sarcastically, joining the group in the center of the room. "Why didn't you guys wake me?"

"You were exhausted," Zane explained matter-of-factly. "You mustn't push your body past its limits."

"Which one's this?" Cole's mother asked her son.

"This is Lloyd," Cole explained, smirking up at the Green Ninja. "Our fearless leader."

"Oh, the leader, huh?" She appraised Lloyd, who, feeling mildly self-conscious under her scrutiny, held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," he said, smiling awkwardly.

"'Ma'am,'" she laughed, shaking his hand. "Way to make a ghost feel old."

Lloyd blushed, stuttering out an apology while the others laughed at his expense.

He started when she didn't release his hand though. "So, you're the one in charge of making sure Cole takes care of himself?"

"Mooom," Cole whined in embarrassment. "I'm a grown man."

"You're a teenager, which is _not_ the same thing," she raised an eyebrow at Lloyd who was smirking back at Cole now that the tables had turned. "You're making sure he eats enough?"

"Oh, he does plenty of _that_ ," Kai remarked, earning a glare from the subject in question in response.

"Don't worry," Lloyd reassured, and, once Cole's mother finally released him, moved to stand behind Cole, wrapping one arm around his shoulders and using the other to pat his head as if he was a toddler. "I'll make sure our little Cole eats _all_ his fruits and vegetables."

Cole threw off the arms with an embarrassed huff as the library was filled with roaring laughter, startling Gem out of her peaceful slumber.

"Ugh," she grumbled. "You guys are still here?"

"In spite of her _rudeness_ ," Nya began with a pointed look over her shoulder at Gem, who only crossed her arms. Morro shrugged, obviously not seeing a problem with the outburst. (He was good, but he wasn't _that_ good, Lloyd realized.) "She does have a point. We need to get back home now that we have Cole's Soul Stone."

Cole placed a hand over his mother's as her face crumpled, all mirth from before gone. "What are you going to do?"

She sighed, "I don't know. This little reunion hasn't made up for everything, but… I don't know what else to do."

Before Cole could dispute this, Morro stood suddenly, balancing Gem on his hip and holding his other fist in front of his mouth like it was a microphone. "Are you a lost soul in need of redemption? Are you looking for a way to make up for all the bad things you've done? Then, come and join Morro and Gem's Tour of the Departed Realm, the only repentance tour in which the hosts are also participants!"

Gem pouted. "I thought we agreed on the Gem and Morro Tour."

Morro wiggled his fist. "I'm the one with the microphone, so it's definitely the Morro and Gem Tour."

"Are you being serious?" Lloyd asked, both fists on his hips and an eyebrow raised as the others peered at the ghosts in utter confusion.

"About the name? No, it really is the Gem and Morro Tour. I lost the coin flip."

" _Not_ about the name," Lloyd groaned, rolling his eyes as Morro smirked. "Are you seriously going on a 'tour of redemption?'"

"Oh. Yeah," Morro shrugged sheepishly. "There's still about six or seven ghosts upstairs in the guest rooms with nowhere else to go. Gem and I agreed that finding their families and/or homes was a good thing to do to make up for… everything. Or, at least a start." He cleared his throat, lifting Gem onto his shoulders instead. "And, it gives Gem a chance to see everything she's missed out on while she was locked away in here."

There was a pause, and eventually Morro grumbled, "Stop looking at me like I'm some puppy dog."

"But, that's so _sweet_ …," Jay crooned, and the others voiced their agreement.

Morro frowned. "I'm Morro. I am _not_ sweet."

Gem pinched either of his cheeks from her vantage point on his shoulders. "Yes, you _are_ …," she sang teasingly.

"I could drop you, you know."

"But, you won't because you're too _sweet_ …,"

" _Anyway_ ," Morro ground out, rolling his eyes. To Cole's mom, he said, "You're welcome to join us."

When she hesitated, Cole laughed weakly, "A moody teenager and a bratty kid. Every mother's dream, right?"

A very small smile graced her lips. "Okay," she agreed, inclining her head ever so slightly. "I suppose running after those two would teach me a thing or two about being a better mother."

Jay sat up suddenly, a troubled expression on his face. "Are you sure you guys want to leave so soon? I mean, we may never get another chance to come back here until… you know. Don't you want to see your parents?"

Kai sat up as well, taking a deep breath. "Of course we do, but…," he glanced at Nya, who nodded solemnly at him. "We're not even sure our parents are dead. But, wherever they are… they know we love them." He dropped his gaze to his hands. "They _know_."

"I will see my father when the time is right." Zane added, a very wide grin on his face. "We are still needed in Ninjago."

"Zane's right," Lloyd confirmed, pounding his fist into the opposite hand. "Who knows what bad guys could've popped up while we were gone! Master Wu is probably also worried out of his mind…," he shrugged, chuckling. "And, my dad would probably just give me a lecture about 'not interfering with fate' or something, so…," The other ninja laughed at the joke. "But, in all seriousness, we don't belong here. It's time to go home."

As the others prepared to leave, Cole led his mom to a more private corner of the library to say his goodbyes.

"I'm going to miss you so much," his mother whispered as she embraced him, once again engulfed by Cole's huge biceps. "I love you. You know that, don't you?"

"I know," Cole replied confidently, even though the day before, he _hadn't_ known, not for sure. "I love you too. I'll be here before you know it!"

She released him and whacked his arm. "Don't say that! I want you to stay _out_ of here for as long as possible!" She looked him over once with a puzzled expression. "But, how _does_ the whole 'ghost but not dead' thing work with… dying?"

He swallowed. He'd thought about it on numerous occasions and this whole debacle with him losing half his soul when he died in the only way ghosts could didn't assuage those worries. "I don't know. But… I guess we'll cross that bridge when the time comes? I'll find a way to get here."

She smiled, eyes filling with a mix of emotions: happiness, pride, regret, _love_. She kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be waiting, baby."

They drifted back toward the center of the room, and Cole tapped Morro, who had set Gem down by now, on the shoulder.

"Yeah?" The ghost asked, turning.

"Um, what do I do with these?" Cole asked, pulling the two halves of his Soul Stone out from where he had (carefully) stashed them in his gi. He'd already returned his mother's to its rightful owner. "I mean, do I have to like… cut myself open to get them back inside me?"

Morro laughed, waving his hands. "No, no! Your soul _wants_ to be inside you. All you have to do is press them to your stomach. But!" He rushed to add when he saw Cole's hand moving toward his midsection. "But, since it's broken, your body will have to… go through an adjustment to make it whole again."

Only half a second passed before realization dawned on Cole's face. "I'll have to go back into the long sleep."

"What?" Jay screeched, overhearing. He rushed to Cole's side, as if he could protect him from Morro's words. "No way! We did this whole thing so he _wouldn't_ have to go into the long sleep!"

"I don't know what to tell you," Morro shrugged. "If you want your soul to be whole and where it belongs again, that's what it's going to take."

Cole studied the broken gem in his hand thoughtfully. He turned to Jay and smiled. "It'll be okay."

"How long?" Jay demanded.

Morro shook his head apologetically. "I couldn't tell you. Could be days. Could be weeks." He hesitated and lowered his eyes but continued nonetheless. "Could be months."

" _Months_?" Jay repeated incredulously.

"Jay, it'll be okay," Cole repeated firmly, grabbing his best friend's shoulder. "Because when I wake up, I'll be _there_ there. For good."

Jay met his eyes and eventually nodded miserably.

Lloyd cleared his throat awkwardly, pulling the Realm Crystal out of his gi. "I guess that's it then." He looked at each of the members of his team in turn. "Are you guys ready?"

"Ugh, just go already," Gem snapped, rolling her eyes.

"My sentiments exactly," Morro agreed, grinning.

"You know, I was just about to say that you turned out to be less of a jerk than I thought you were, but I take that back," Kai quipped, smirking.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Morro batted his eyelashes. "It takes a lot of work to be a jerk of my caliber."

"Ugh," Lloyd groaned, activating the Realm Crystal. A hole between dimensions opened in the floor, inviting the same immense gravity tugging them toward it as before.

Kai jumped in first, shouting, "Last one there's a rotten egg!"

"Morro… Thanks for everything," Nya said, offering a small smile before diving in after her brother.

"You were a great help," Zane confirmed, then followed Nya's example.

"Yeah, we couldn't have done it without you," Jay added, leaping into the portal.

Cole hugged his mother one last time, then shoved Morro, who was nothing short of nonplussed at all of the kind words he was receiving. "Am I still your favorite?"

Shaking himself out of his shock, he scoffed, "I despise all of you."

"Besides, _I'm_ his favorite," Gem protested, tone dripping with jealousy.

Cole rolled his eyes. "You can have him." He grinned at Morro. "But, thanks."

He jumped, leaving Lloyd as the last one in the Departed Realm.

Lloyd managed a respectful nod at the ghost, then made to jump-

Morro grabbed the collar of his green gi.

Lloyd felt a spike of unparalleled fear- no, no, Morro was reformed, he was different…

Swallowing the panic and deciding to give the ghost the benefit of the doubt, he rounded on Morro, glaring. "What?"

"What about my second favor?"

That did nothing to reassure him. Surely, after everything they'd been through together, he wouldn't ask to possess Lloyd, he wouldn't ask for the Realm Crystal, he wouldn't ask to go to Ninjago…

"Fine. What is it?" Lloyd asked with a confidence he didn't feel.

Morro tapped his chin as if he was thinking, though Lloyd thought he did it just to annoy him. Eventually, the ghost leaned forward and whispered in his ear.

Lloyd balked. "That's _it_?"

Morro only grinned before using both hands to shove Lloyd as hard he could. The Green Ninja was sent tumbling backward into the portal back to Ninjago. The last thing he saw was Morro with the most arrogant smirk to date waving at him as he fell.

"You-!"

The portal closed.

* * *

 **So, what _did_ Morro ask for? I'd love to hear any guesses! ;D**

 **One (or maybe two) more chapters to go! I'm really going to miss this story :( Thank you all for your love and support! You mean the world to me! :D**


	25. Lost Souls

**I am simultaneously very sad and very happy to announce that this is officially the last chapter of Lost Soul :D**

 **A word about reviews though: For some reason, Fanfiction is being super glitchy and a ton of reviews have not shown up on the review page of this story! I did receive emails about most of them, so I responded to those that I could, but I know there are at least two reviews that I did not receive emails about and that did not show up on the review page! If you left reviews that I didn't respond to, I AM VERY SORRY! I have no way of knowing who you are or what you wrote, but know I appreciate you all! It looks like a lot of other people are having this problem as well, so I hope it will be resolved soon! As soon as it is, I will reply!**

 **That being said, don't let this discourage you from leaving reviews! From what I can gather, I will be able to see them eventually! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews (that I know of):**

 **TheYellowNinja: Haha, I'm glad you're excited for the sequel! I am SUPER happy about writing it! :D We'll see about the long sleep this chapter :'( And, we'll see what Morro asked for! ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **imacrazyninjagofan: You changed your name! I like it! XD I'm glad you thought it was cute! We'll finally find out what Morro asked now! Thanks for reviewing! :D**

 **ItsNotOver: "Blew you away?!" You are way too kind! Yep, Morro and Gem are starting their own group of misfits, which I will tell you is a semi-big point in the sequel ;D It makes me so happy to know you were fangirling! Thank you so so much for your incredibly kind review! :D**

 **Israa: Haha! XD I am hyped for the sequel as well! :D Finally got my three tests over with! Woo hoo! I've still got homework, but I decided to write instead XD We will find out what Morro asked for momentarily! ;D Thank you so much! :D**

 **Echo15: There's never any pressure to review! Believe me, I know how crazy real life is! Aw, you are so nice! :D Jay recovered because Cole stopped possessing him, not because they traveled into the Departed Realm, so don't worry! He won't get sick again! XD But, it is still very traumatizing :'( I'm glad you liked Jay and Zane's hug! Zane certainly needed it! Aw, thank you so much! You are too kind!**

 **Star: Good guess! We will see... ;D Thanks for reviewing! :D**

* * *

Lloyd tumbled head over heels into Cole's bedroom, groaning as he landed on his stomach.

Then he blinked when he came face to face with a very familiar pair of shoes.

Laughing nervously, he looked up into Master Wu's very disappointed, very angry, very unhappy face. "Uncle Wu! I, um- how was your trip?"

Master Wu's frown only deepened, and Lloyd scrambled to his feet.

Misako instantly tackled him in a hug. "Do you know how worried we've been?! How could you be so irresponsible?!"

Lloyd hugged her back and glanced over his shoulder to see his siblings lined up, their heads already bowed in shame now that they had been caught.

"First of all," Master Wu began pacing in front of his students. "Cole." He stopped in front of the black ninja, who winced in anticipation. "Welcome home."

Cole blinked in surprise then grinned. "Thank you, Sensei."

"Second of all," Master Wu continued his pacing. "I am incredibly disappointed in all of you. As Elemental Masters and ninja, you have a greater responsibility to Ninjago than you do to each other. Taking the Realm Crystal out of Hiroshi's Labyrinth left it and all of Ninjago vulnerable. And, to approach Morro of all people was highly-"

"Sensei?" Lloyd interrupted, and the other ninja gaped at him in horror that he would do such a thing when they were already in so much trouble. "There's… something I have to tell you about Morro."

Master Wu stroked his beard, ruminating on his request, but, undeniably curious, he nodded at Lloyd to continue.

"We did approach Morro, and it was irresponsible of us at the time, but… he helped us. He asked us for two things in return. One was my forgiveness." The other ninja, save Kai, gasped, and Master Wu's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Lloyd took a deep breath and continued. "And, I didn't give it to him to pay off the favor. I gave it to him, because… he earned it. He changed, Master Wu. He really did."

He could have sworn he saw Master Wu's eyes soften, but his uncle, stoic as always, only said, "And, the second thing?"

"The second thing he asked for was for me to… deliver a message to you." Lloyd shook his head. "I don't really know what it means, but he said,

"'I _do_ want to be saved.'"

Master Wu's breath caught, and, suddenly weak, he lowered himself onto the edge of Cole's bed.

Suddenly, Kai cleared his throat and stepped forward. "He, uh, told us about his parents. It was kind of an accident, but… you were the only person he ever loved, Sensei." Kai shrugged. "I think he just wanted you to be proud of him."

Master Wu, unable to speak, nodded.

Misako, seeing that Master Wu clearly needed a moment to himself, said, "You can receive your punishments later. But, Cole, your father is here."

Cole recoiled, shocked. "My dad? Why?"

"He said you haven't responded to his letters for months. We told him you were on a mission, but he insisted that he wasn't leaving until he got an explanation."

Cole paused, processing this.

Then, very slowly turned to his siblings, none of whom were meeting his eyes.

"You didn't _tell_ him?"

"Hey, you didn't tell him either!" Jay pointed out accusingly.

"You mean when I was possessing you and had, like, a quarter of my memories?! I barely remembered I _had_ a dad, doofus!" Cole responded, tossing his hands into the air. "And, I don't think it's so wrong of me to assume that my best friends would, I don't know, _mention_ it to my father that I _died_."

"Lloyd would not let us tell him until we were certain you were dead, and he continued to be convinced you would return," Zane explained, gesturing to the Green Ninja.

Lloyd sputtered as the nindroid threw him under the bus. "Well, I figured there was no point in upsetting him like that until we knew for sure you weren't coming back. And, then you when you were possessing Jay, I thought we shouldn't tell him until we had found a way to fix you. And then we went into the Departed Realm, and I guess it kind of… slipped my mind?" The Green Ninja smiled sheepishly.

Cole sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "It's okay. I wanted to talk to him anyway." He turned toward the door, but Jay grabbed his shoulder.

"How much are you going to tell him?" The blue ninja asked nervously. "I mean, I know we're cool now with me pushing you and everything, but your dad seems like the type to hold a grudge, and I really don't want him singing angrily at me every time he sees me…"

Cole laughed. "While that would be hilarious… I _guess_ I can leave that part out."

Jay grinned. "Good luck then."

* * *

Cole hesitantly peeked into the kitchen, where he spotted his father sipping a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper at the kitchen table. He'd barely had time to ruminate on what he was going to say during the short walk down the hallway, and he still wasn't sure how much to leave out. A lot of things the ninja did went right over his stubborn father's head. (It had taken him a week to convince his father that his new ghostly appearance wasn't "stage makeup.")

Suddenly, sensing someone watching him, Lou looked up. "Cole! You keep your poor father waiting all this time, and now you're just going to lurk there in the doorway?"

Cole fully entered the room. "Dad, I-"

"Now I understand you lead a busy life, but you don't write, you don't call… With all the danger you subject yourself to, what else am I supposed to assume except the worst?"

Cole pulled out the chair at the table beside him. "Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you." Though in truth, "the worst" was pretty much what had happened to him, making the lack of response _not_ his fault, but he decided what his father didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

"So, what exactly was so important that you forgot all about your dear old dad at home?"

Cole traced a circle on the table top, not meeting his father's eyes. "I… It's a long story. Basically, we had to travel into the Realm of the Departed. You know, the place you go when you die, and…," He raised his eyes to meet his father's gaze. "I saw her, Dad. I saw Mom."

Lou gasped. "Corrine?"

Cole nodded. "We had a talk," He laughed. "A really good talk. She told me about… her problems."

Lou grabbed his son's arm. "Cole, you must not blame her. She was a wonderful person, and she loved you very much. She couldn't help herself."

"I know." Cole paused. "And, she told me how, when it became dangerous, you were going to divorce her."

Lou retracted his hand, swallowing. "Cole, everything I did, I did for you. I loved your mother with all my heart, but-"

Cole suddenly stood and hugged his dad. "I know. I know how much you loved her, so the fact that you would send her away for _me_ …," Cole trailed off, unable to continue.

Lou, shocked into stillness that this conversation was not one of accusation but _appreciation_ , slowly wrapped his arms around his son. "I would do anything for you, Cole."

Cole sat back down in his chair, rubbing an arm over his face. "It's just… all these years, I was so worried about not having a mom, it's like I didn't even realize I still had a dad."

Lou smiled, but then he shook his head, sighing. "No child should have to grow up without a mother, Cole. I should have done more for Corrine. I should have been there for her. And, I admit, after she passed, I wasn't always the best father to you, let alone father _and_ mother, but somehow you've grown into a wonderful young man despite my failings."

Cole grinned. "Thanks, Dad." He stopped, wondering if he should continue, then decided to bite the bullet and ask. "Can you tell me more about her? I mean, we never talk about her. I love her, but I feel like I barely know her."

Lou was silent for a moment, and Cole bit his lip, fearing he pushed the envelope too far…

Then, Lou rubbed his chin, looking up at the ceiling as if that would help him remember. "Well, let's see… The first time I saw her, she was singing backup for- what was her name again?- ah, yes, Barbara Ann McGregor, very popular at the time- and it was love at first sight…"

* * *

"So, uh… I guess this is it," Cole said, looking at each of his family members in turn. The ninja, Master Wu, and Misako had gathered in the living room. Cole, not wanting to make his father panic, had explained that he had to go "undercover" for a little while and wouldn't be able to write. Lou had seemed to suspect that Cole wasn't telling him the whole truth but had given his blessing nonetheless.

He stared down at the two halves of his Soul Stone in his hand. The others had given Master Wu and Misako a quick summary of everything that had taken place in the Departed Realm. Master Wu was mildly intrigued by the concept of the Soul Stone but had mostly asked them about Morro, smiling a little bit more every time they related to him a good thing the ghost had done.

"Listen, guys, I… thanks for… doing all this for me," Cole shrugged self-consciously. "I mean, you risked a lot for me, and-"

Kai interrupted with a groan, "C'mon, guys, quit it with all the mushiness."

Cole balked. "But-"

"You never have to say thank you, Cole," Zane reasserted, smiling gently. "Never to us."

"And, stop talking like you're dying," Jay snapped, crossing his arms. "You'll be back soon, okay?"

Cole hesitated. "But, if it's a long time-"

"We'll wait," Lloyd insisted.

"However long it takes," Nya added.

Cole looked at each of them once again before offering a small smile. "Then… see you on the other side?"

"See you on the other side," Jay repeated as the others murmured their own goodbyes.

Cole smiled one last time, then closed his eyes.

He pressed his broken Soul Stone to his stomach.

And, disappeared.

Though the others had put on brave faces for Cole's sake, the masks crumpled and fell away as soon as he was gone.

"Jay…," Nya reached out a hand- but Jay was already gone, hurrying down the hall and slamming the door behind him.

* * *

The last month had been bleak, to say the least.

They spent their time cleaning up the fallout from their trek in the Departed Realm. Nya got a cast for her broken arm, Kai had his stomach wound properly treated, Zane fixed the damage he had sustained in the bus crash, Lloyd returned the Realm Crystal to Hiroshi's Labyrinth.

Jay was depressed.

The entire Destiny's Bounty was always very quiet. It was almost as if they were afraid to miss any sign that Cole was returning; and consequently jumped at every creek, every breeze, every noise. They would squint, call out, listen, _hope_...

But, Cole still hadn't come back.

And, they were beginning to worry. Because that little seed of fear had planted. The fear that Morro was wrong, that it wouldn't be months but _years_ before Cole woke up. Or, perhaps, that he _wouldn't_. Lou had called twice, and it was hard to inform him that, yes, Cole was still "undercover." No, they weren't sure when he would be back. Yes, they were sure he was okay.

Or, at least, they hoped he was.

It was on the forty first day that the ninja were trudging down the hallway to breakfast, and Jay was watching his feet as he passed into the living room. He was beginning to feel the same old guilt, the same old self-pity creeping in, because if Cole was _gone_ gone then, really, it was all-

He jumped when a crumpled up chip bag hit him in the face and bounced harmlessly off his nose.

"Took you long enough! I thought you guys were going to sleep forever!"

Jay caught his breath and looked up, not daring to believe his ears-

Cole was grinning at them from where he was lying on the couch, surrounded by the remnants of various snacks and sweets that he had apparently indulged in after eating _nothing_ for so long.

Cole yelled wordlessly in terror as he was suddenly buried in a ninja pile.

The rest of the day was spent celebrating. They caught Cole up on the events of the past forty days, which were few and far between. He called his father, who sang his elation at his return over the phone.

Zane baked Cole a delectable chocolate cake, and even let Cole help make it.

Nya had him sign her cast and let him draw a picture that took up approximately ninety three percent of the available room.

Lloyd sat beside him as often as he could, inviting Cole to put his arm around him and reassure him with physical contact.

Kai wrestled Cole at least three different times, and in this way also reassured himself with physical contact.

It wasn't until night had fallen, and the ninja were falling asleep where they lay in varying spots around the living room, that Jay watched Cole use his ninja/ghost stealth to step over Zane's slumbering body without waking him and walk out onto the deck.

Jay sat up and, confirming everyone else was asleep, silently followed his best friend.

He found Cole sitting on the railing of the Destiny's Bounty with his legs dangling over the side, looking up at the moon. Although the position was a precarious one, Jay wasn't worried. All of the ninja had mastered the art of balance, and, if Cole were to fall, he could easily summon his elemental dragon.

Jay walked over to him and threw his legs over the railing as well, making Cole jump.

"What are you doing out here?" The blue ninja asked as he perched beside the ghost, the beginnings of worry gnawing at his insides. "Are you okay?"

Cole's lips quirked into a small smile before he shook his head and turned to look at the stars again. "Yeah, I'm okay. I guess, I just… A lot of time's passed, you know? I guess I feel like I'm missing something…"

Jay grabbed his arm. "Nothing happened while you were gone, because… we were the ones missing something."

Cole smiled, a real, genuine, _happy_ smile, before laughing and slapping a hand to his face. "That was _so_ cheesy, Jay."

The lightning ninja let go of Cole's arm in favor of smacking it. "I'm trying to make you feel better, Dirt Clod."

"By saying that you missed me?" Cole grabbed Jay's neck in a headlock, grinding his fist into the top of Jay's head. "That you _looove_ me?"

"Ew, gross!" Jay protested, clawing at the arm around his windpipe.

"Admit it!"

"Never!"

Cole tightened his grip, making Jay gasp and sputter with laughter. "One… Two…"

"Alright, alright, fine, I admit it! Happy?"

Cole released him, laughing. "Very."

They didn't talk for a moment, both having turned their gazes back toward the stars. Jay was grumbling to himself about "bruised necks" and "attempted murder"- when he felt a elbow in his ribs.

"But…," Cole grinned at him. "Me too."

Jay smiled back at him. "Look who's being cheesy now?"

"Oh, zip it, Zap Trap."

* * *

"So basically, you promise to never mind control me ever again, and I won't blow you away in a tornado," Morro explained, peering down at the contract he had written up. "And, we can't use our powers on other people, unless both of us agree."

"What about intimidation?" Gem asked, leaning against his leg as she looked down at the contract as well. "Can we threaten to use our powers without permission?"

"Hm… yeah, I think that's acceptable." Morro agreed, nodding confidently. "Ready to sign it?"

Gem bobbed her head with a grin. Both ghosts signed the contract, Morro with a calligraphic flourish and Gem with the fisted grip of a child.

"Is a contract written in pink crayon really all that binding?" Corrine asked upon entering the room, smirking down at the garish piece of paper.

"It's all we had, okay?" Morro snapped playfully, folding up the contract and slipping it into his pocket. "Is everyone ready to go?"

"We've been waiting on you two," Corrine crossed her arms. "We were also voting on a new name."

"What's wrong with the Gem and Morro Tour?" Morro asked, slightly offended.

"Too long," Corrine laughed. "What about the Lost Souls?"

Gem gasped excitedly and clapped her hands. "I like it! Sounds pretty."

Morro rolled his eyes. "Too poetic for my tastes, but I guess I'm outvoted."

He stood up and smiled down at Gem, holding out his hand to her. "Ready?"

Gem hesitated, looking around at her huge playroom, all the toys she had amassed, all the games she had played a countless number of times with a countless number of big brothers. She hadn't left her castle in decades.

She took Morro's hand, squeezing it as hard as she could. "Ready, Big Brother."

* * *

 **And, the title's TRIPLE meaning is finally revealed! XD**

 **Well, everyone, let me just say that, considering this is literally all I had written in my outline for the last two thirds of the story:**

 **They journey to find the other half of Cole's soul and do**

 **it has been an incredible ride with you guys! I never for one second imagined that this story would receive over FOUR HUNDRED reviews or that all of them would be so extremely kind! Everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story means the world to me!**

 **I have already written THREE PAGES (impressive, I know XD) of the sequel, and I am super excited about continuing! It will probably be several weeks before I can begin publishing (as I like to have a good chunk of a story written before I post) but keep an eye out for that!**

 **Once again, thank you all for all of the love Lost Soul has received! I love you all!**


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